Egyptian refereeing row intensifies as Zamalek responds to Al Ahly

Players fight for the ball during the Egyptian league.

CAIRO, Aug 4: Zamalek has hit back at Al Ahly’s statement to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), insisting that questioning the integrity of Egyptian referees is unacceptable.

In an official statement, Zamalek’s board said it was surprised by what it described as an early campaign against local refereeing and objections that rose before the formation of the referees’ committee.

“Early threats against referees, objections to certain appointments, and revisiting refereeing decisions from last season in an attempt to create doubt and controversy are completely unacceptable,” the club said. “Such actions aim to put pressure on referees before the start of the new season, as has happened in recent years.”

Zamalek stressed that casting doubt on the credibility of Egyptian referees or any part of the country’s football system should not be tolerated.

The club also praised the Egyptian Football Association board, led by Hany Abou Rida, for its efforts to improve the sport’s administration and build on the national team’s successful World Cup campaign.

Zamalek further welcomed the EFA president’s confirmation that the club’s player contracts are valid, while calling on the federation and relevant authorities to review the contracts of players at other clubs to ensure transparency across Egyptian football.