The Referees Committee revealed the details of the incident involving referee Mohamed Marouf and Wael Gomaa, the football manager of Al Ahly Club, during the match against Zed.
Rumors circulated in recent hours that Mohamed Marouf had asked Wael Gomaa to substitute Al Ahly player Ali Mahmoud to prevent him from being sent off against Zed, after he received a yellow card.
The Referees Committee denied the claims regarding the conversation between Mohamed Marouf and Wael Gomaa, in an official statement.
The statement read as follows:
The Main Referees Committee of the Egyptian Football Association has followed the reports circulating in recent hours regarding the incident between referee Mohamed Marouf and Wael Gomaa, the football manager of Al Ahly Club, during the Al Ahly vs. Zed match, and the allegations 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, it was not established for the Referees Committee that referee Mohamed Marouf spoke to Wael Gomaa about player Ali Mahmoud. Rather, the conversation concerned Al Ahly Club’s claim of an error and the football manager’s (Wael Gomaa’s) objection. Referee Mohamed Marouf’s response was that there was no error and that it had been reviewed by the VAR referee. There was no mention in the dialogue of the referee being asked to send the player off to protect him, as reported in the media.
The Referees Committee extends its sincere thanks to the Supreme Council of Media for summoning the channel’s legal representative to a hearing session due to this violation. The Committee commends the Council’s proactive decision, which reflects its commitment to regulating the media landscape and upholding professional values. The Committee confirmed that it was preparing to refer the matter to the Council to take the necessary action, but the decision was made swiftly, which the Committee appreciates and commends.
The Committee affirms its full commitment to handling all incidents and observations related to refereeing with transparency and objectivity, while adhering to verifying facts before issuing any judgments or disseminating inaccurate information.
The Referees Committee calls on all elements of the sports system, the media, and the fans to support Egyptian refereeing and to refrain from falling for rumors and unverified news, given the negative impact this has on the Egyptian football system.
