Asyut Petroleum Club issued a statement affirming its suffering from sadness and injustice following the decision to ban the team from playing in the governorate and relocate its matches to Borg El Arab.
The club clarified in its statement that the administration had met all technical standards for broadcasting and video technology in preparation for the first match of the Premier League, only to be surprised by the decision to relocate the stadium.
The club noted in its statement that playing matches outside Asyut Governorate would result in high costs, in addition to the team suffering from fatigue due to playing away from its home ground.
Asyut Petroleum Statement
"To the prestigious fans of Upper Egypt, the loyal sons of Asyut, these words come from a heart filled with the sadness and injustice befalling Asyut Petroleum Club, the representative of all Upper Egypt, following the clear stubbornness in depriving it of its fundamental right to play on its home ground in front of its fans."
"A large sector of Upper Egypt is living in a state of sorrow and anger, as it is marginalized and deprived of its most basic and legitimate sports rights to represent the region in a dignified manner after its historic promotion to the Premier League."
"We were surprised on Wednesday evening, forty-eight hours before the match, by unexpected decisions that increased the burden on the club."
"The administration had obtained all technical approvals for broadcasting and video technology at the governorate's stadiums in preparation for the anticipated match. Nevertheless, the club is being forced to play matches outside Asyut Governorate at a high cost and with the hardship of long travel, especially considering that there is no stadium in Upper Egypt, from Beni Suef to Aswan, that is fully compliant to host these competitions."
"Now, we declare clearly that the club's administration faces two options, both bitter: either accept the challenge of playing away and bear this great hardship for the sake of continuing the team's journey, or take other decisive measures to protect the entity's rights."
"Upper Egypt is not inferior to other regions, and our right to represent our fans is a red line. Our vast fan base and our icons will not accept Asyut remaining a hostage to administrative and logistical stubbornness. If everyone does not move to support justice, the voice of Upper Egypt's anger will not stop. It must be known to all that the Asyut Petroleum and Asyut Cement stadiums have hosted more than 100 Premier League matches in recent years, which raises many question marks about the reasons for rejecting this now."
