Ayman El-Sharai, president of El Sharqia Enppi Club, strongly criticized the decision by the League of Clubs to impose a sanction on the first-team head coach, Mohamed Barakat, following his conduct during the match against Al Ahly in the first round of the Egyptian Premier League.
The League of Clubs’ decision banned the head coach of El Sharqia Enppi from accompanying his team for four matches and imposed a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds, citing the use of obscene language toward the match referee.
Ayman El-Sharai wrote on his personal Facebook page: “Captain Mahmoud Naji described Captain Barakat’s phrase (‘You don’t understand the law’) in the disciplinary notice as disgraceful conduct, and in his final report, he characterized it as violent behavior.”
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He continued: “The Competitions Committee issued the sanction under the label of using obscene language. Regardless of the referee’s linguistic error in using the terms ‘disgraceful’ and ‘violent,’ which have vastly different meanings, especially since ‘violent’ implies physical force, Captain... meaning hitting you!! Not just with words; because violence means excessive force.”
He added: “I wished that Captain Mahmoud, being a prominent international referee, if his Arabic was insufficient, would have used English, which he employs in his international assignments. Then we would all have understood what you wanted Barakat to do so that he wouldn’t repeat it.”
He concluded: “As for us, the management and the Competitions Committee headed by the esteemed Taha Azet, who imposed the closest sanction to two descriptions that have nothing to do with each other, and which naturally have no connection, near or far, to Barakat’s phrase (‘You don’t understand the law’), which, due to strange, bizarre, and suspicious procedures...! has become one of the most memorable quotes by the young, diligent, educated, and distinct coach Mohamed Barakat.”
