Taha Ezzat, head of the competitions committee, spoke about his work in the UAE league last season and the reasons for changing the schedule of the Al Ahly vs. Smouha match in the Egyptian Premier League.
Taha Ezzat said via "Al Nahar" channel regarding the combination of his work in the UAE and managing the league competition last season: "There were personal matters that compelled me to stay and continue working in the UAE last season, as I have spent half my life there. I presented the matter to Deputy Minister Ahmed Diab, who agreed. In the end, the result is the criterion. Currently, my work is only in Egypt, and my relationship with work in the UAE has ended."
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He continued, in response to his support for Al Zamalek club: "This is my job, and in the end (it is up to God). I receive my salary from my work, and (work is work, it has nothing to do with Al Ahly or Al Zamalek). In the end, we follow the regulations. I was subjected to insults from the fans of both clubs, and everyone views the matter from their own perspective."
He added regarding the crisis from the season before last: "Al Ahly was the champion the season before last, and Al Zamalek was the champion last season. This is a story that has ended, and the judiciary ruled on it. We did not amend the regulations in favor of Al Ahly. In the end, we are governed by the regulations, and in case of a dispute, the judiciary is appealed to, which is what happened. We did not favor one party at the expense of another."
He noted: "A sixth substitution may be available in the league in the event of a player suffering a head concussion. In this case, the opposing team is also entitled to an additional substitution. The nature of the injury, whether it requires this or not, is determined by the team's doctor. If a player suffers such an injury, they will not participate in any official match for 6 days."
He continued: "A red card will not be issued for placing a hand over the mouth while talking to an opposing player, as happened in the World Cup, and even UEFA refused to implement this."
He stated: "We respect all clubs and only consider the regulations. We respect Al Ahly and Al Zamalek, and the clubs are happy because there is a regulation that applies to everyone."
Regarding the postponement of the Al Ahly vs. Smouha match, he said: "After coordination with the relevant authorities, it was confirmed that no match would be played at Cairo Stadium on September 1 or 2. Therefore, we decided to hold it on September 3."
He said: "We have a problem with the number of large clubs in Cairo, which puts pressure on Cairo Stadium. Five clubs play there, in addition to the Egyptian national team. The matter is not solely in the hands of the league."
He added: "Petro Asyut chose to play at Borg El Arab due to the unfitness of Asyut Cement Stadium. What matters to me in the end is that the stadium is safe, and we did not object to any team playing at their own stadium."
He continued: "Last season, we did not postpone any match and played the full schedule without postponements. The regulation was clear, requiring 3 days of rest, and the schedule, from the start of the season, had known dates for all its matches."
He added: "We amended the regulations for the Capital Cup, which stipulates that the tournament matches be played by the first team. This means any player over the age of 16, provided that the first team's technical staff is present on the bench. This is because some clubs played matches last season with youth coaches and youth teams, which causes marketing losses."
He concluded: "In the new season's Egypt Cup, clubs will play their matches with international players. This happened after coordination between the league and the Football Association."
