ZED Club announced that it has filed a complaint against Mohamed Maarouf, the referee of its match against Al-Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League.
Al-Ahly defeated ZED by two goals without reply in the second round of the Egyptian Premier League.
The match saw ZED players demanding a penalty kick, but referee Mohamed Maarouf signaled to continue play, ruling that there was no deliberate handball by Ashraf Bencharqi, an Al-Ahly player.
ZED's statement read as follows:
ZED FC affirms its full respect for the entire Egyptian football system, including all its components, foremost among them the Egyptian refereeing system, for which we hold utmost appreciation. We also reaffirm our complete confidence in Egyptian referees and their ability to officiate matches with integrity and professionalism.
At the same time, and driven by the club's commitment to upholding the values of justice and transparency, we reiterate our strong objection to several influential refereeing decisions during yesterday's match between ZED FC and Al-Ahly Club, which, in our view, had a significant and direct impact on the course of the game and its final outcome.
This objection falls within the club's right to express its stance regarding decisions that it believes significantly affected the match's proceedings, without this in any way diminishing our full respect for the referees, the Egyptian refereeing system, or any other elements of the football ecosystem.
ZED FC confirms that it will remain committed in all its positions to the spirit of sportsmanship and professionalism, respecting all clubs, players, technical staff, referees, and all elements of the game. At the same time, the club insists on its full right to object and demand the application of the highest standards of justice and impartiality, thereby safeguarding the rights of all clubs and enhancing the competition's credibility. This position has been formally documented and submitted to the Egyptian Football Association through its official channels for appropriate action.
Previously, the Referees Committee released a video analyzing a refereeing incident from the first round of the league, concerning a penalty awarded to Al-Ahly against Eastern Company Enppi.
Essam Abdel Fattah has been heading the Egyptian Referees Committee since the beginning of the current season, succeeding Colombian Oscar Ruiz.
