Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, revealed the scenes of the crisis of the summit match between Al -Ahly and Zamalek, and the withdrawal of the red team.
He said through the second Al -Washa program with Ahmed Schubert on Radio on “On Sport FM”: “The boards of Zamalek and Al -Ahly departments and the Football Association are volunteer councils and we are not against anyone, but the ministry represents the state.”
He continued: “Al -Ahly Club is the King of the Egyptian People Foundation and the Zamalek Club also the king of the Egyptian people and the state possesses part of what happens if the matter turns into a social situation.”
Regarding the crisis of the summit match, the Minister of Sports said: “The last problem with regard to the meeting of Zamalek and Al -Ahly there are 3 institutions besides the presence of the Club Association and its role in the league management.
He added: “There was a problem and Al -Ahly club objected, and the Zamalek club objected last season to a problem, which was the records, and there was an inconsistency with the association, and it was assumed that the association was facilitating the solution of these problems.”
He continued: “Zamalek club bears its decision last season and applied the list and penalties for it, and Al -Ahly Club is the season that bears its decision and the ministry has no relationship.”
He continued: “My intervention came because the League was sent to the Football Association on March 9, asking for foreign referees, while the Football Association allows its regulations to agree or rejecting amid official visits by officials such as Infantino.”
“I interfered by communicating with the Saudi side after the crisis became outside the institutions, and the arrival of the rulers would not happen before twelve o’clock.”
He added: “Last year, Al -Ahly refused to postpone the summit and said it was going to the stadium and now Zamalek did the same.”
The Minister of Sports concluded his statements: “Currently the topic is a perspective in the Olympic Committee in order to judge any ambiguity that has happened and it is specialized in reviewing the regulations and laws and we want to preserve the value of Zamalek and Al -Ahly and everyone should bear its responsibilities.”
Al -Ahly had refused to play the summit match against Zamalek, which was scheduled to bring them together in the first round of the final stage of the Egyptian League.
Al -Ahly’s refusal to play the match in protest against the appointment of an Egyptian arbitration team to manage the confrontation despite his request to bring in foreign referees.
