CAIRO – Egyptian side Zamalek have told the Egyptian Football Association – EFA of their decision to withdraw from the Premier League.
Zamalek claim that they would only continue participating in the league if the country’s EFA cleaned up their refereeing body.
The club’s board of directors notified the FA in an official letter of how their return to the topflight league would require the fulfilment of three conditions.
Zamalek chairman Mortada Mansour alleged that referee Ibrahim Nour El-Dein had made some controversial decisions during the Al Ahly and Misr El-Maqassa games.
Zamalek scraped a 95th-minute draw against relegation contenders – El-Dakhelya, which increased their gap with league leaders, Al Ahly to five points.
The draw came on the back of a surprising 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Aswan in the previous round.
However, the El-Dakhelya game witnessed more drama before the kick-off as full-back; Ahmed Fetouh and Abdallah Gomaa were dropped from the announced match day squad due to reported Covid-19 symptoms.
Fetouh was announced he would start at the left-back, while Abdallah Gomaa was placed on the bench, and their exclusion led Mohamed Abdelshafy to start instead.
But hours after the draw, Mansour claimed the main reason behind the exclusion of both players were due to their intoxication with cannabis.
“Ahmed Fetouh and Abdallah Gomaa entered the game under the influence of cannabis. They disrespected the club,” Mansour told Zamalek TV channel, adding: “When they learnt of a pre-game drug test, they pulled out of the game.”
In the said game, the referee punched El-Maqassa’s player in his chest and unjustly sent off their player.
Also, the penalty awarded against Al Ahly should have been retaken as the goalkeeper moved on the line before the kick was taken.
Nour El-Dein’s decision to award Al Ahly a penalty was dubious just like the two he awarded for the Red Devils against Ittihad of Alexandria.
They added also that Nour El-Dein should have awarded two penalties for their side against Smouha in the league match, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Zamalek’s demands before returning to the Egyptian Premier League;
- Sack head of the refereeing committee Reda El-Beltagy and his entire board.
- Sack referee Ibrahim Nour El-Dein, as he is biased against Zamalek and insulted the club’s Chairman in a phone call with a radio station program.
The board added that the EFA should question him about the time spent in suspicious places like ‘nightclubs’ with women.
- Start an investigation with Al Ahly loanee-Ahmed El-Sheikh for missing the penalty after conniving with his former side, which was awarded to El-Maqassa.
