Wael Gomaa, Al-Ahly's football director, commented on the circulating incident between him and Mohamed Maarouf during Al-Ahly's latest match against ZED in the second round of the Egyptian Premier League.
Rumors spread in recent hours claiming that Mohamed Maarouf asked Wael Gomaa to substitute Ali Mahmoud, an Al-Ahly player, to avoid his expulsion against ZED after he received a yellow card.
Gomaa confirmed in exclusive statements to Yalla Kora that the circulating story about Ali Mahmoud is baseless and purely fictional, emphasizing that he does not allow any match referee to interfere in tactical matters.
The Al-Ahly football director stated: "The circulating story about Ali Mahmoud is baseless and purely fictional. I do not accept a match referee interfering in tactics and asking me to substitute a player."
He added: "Mohamed Maarouf is a respected international referee, and every word he said is recorded and can be reviewed by the Referees Committee."
Wael Gomaa concluded his statements by calling on the Egyptian Football Association to intervene, saying: "The Football Association must intervene to protect members of its system."
Al-Ahly won their latest match against ZED in the second round of the league with a score of 2-0.
The Red Devils have accumulated 6 points in the tournament after winning their first two matches, most notably the opening game against Sharqia Enppi.
