The Referees Committee of the Football Association issued an official statement today regarding the incident involving referee Mohamed Maarouf and Wael Gomaa, Al-Ahly Club's Football Director, during Al-Ahly's match against ZED in the Egyptian Premier League.
In recent hours, there has been talk that Mohamed Maarouf warned Wael Gomaa to substitute player Ali Mahmoud or risk being expelled due to his interventions.
The Referees Committee clarified that it followed up on what was raised regarding the incident, holding a meeting to review the details and ascertain the truth of the conversation that took place between the referee and the Football Director.
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The committee confirmed that it fully listened to the recordings from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, and after reviewing them, found no evidence that Mohamed Maarouf spoke with Wael Gomaa regarding player Ali Mahmoud.
It indicated that the dialogue between both parties concerned Wael Gomaa's objection to a foul not being awarded in Al-Ahly's favor, where Mohamed Maarouf explained to him that no foul had occurred, confirming that the play had already been reviewed by the VAR referee.
The main Referees Committee expressed its gratitude to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation after summoning the legal representative of Al-Hayat Channel to a hearing session regarding the violation related to the incident.
Text of the Referees Committee Statement
The main Referees Committee of the Egyptian Football Association followed up on what circulated in recent hours regarding the incident involving referee Mohamed Maarouf and Wael Gomaa, Al-Ahly Club's Football Director, during Al-Ahly's match against ZED, as well as the allegations raised concerning player Ali Mahmoud.
The Referees Committee confirms that it held a meeting to discuss the incident and fully listened to the recordings from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room to ascertain the truth of what transpired.
After reviewing and listening to the recordings, the Referees Committee found no proof that referee Mohamed Maarouf spoke to Wael Gomaa regarding player Ali Mahmoud. Instead, the conversation pertained to Al-Ahly Club requesting a foul and the Football Director's (Wael Gomaa) objection. Referee Mohamed Maarouf responded that no foul had occurred and that the play had been reviewed by the VAR referee. There was no mention in the dialogue of the referee demanding the player's substitution for his protection, as alleged in the media.
The Referees Committee extends its sincere thanks to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation for summoning the channel's legal representative to a hearing session due to this violation. The committee praises the council's proactive decision, which reflects its commitment to regulating the media landscape and preserving professional values. The committee confirms that it was preparing to approach the council to take necessary action regarding the incident, but the decision came swiftly, which the committee appreciates and commends.
The committee reaffirms its full commitment to handling all incidents and observations related to refereeing with complete transparency and objectivity, while ensuring verification of facts before issuing any judgments or circulating inaccurate information.
The Referees Committee calls upon all elements of the sports system, the media, and fans to support Egyptian refereeing and to avoid following rumors and unverified news, given their negative impact on the Egyptian football system.
