Ismail Abdel Fattah, head of the Referees Committee, expressed his anger at the doubts cast on the integrity of the referees with the start of the Egyptian League.
Abdel Fattah said in a television interview on CBC channel: "We are going through a state of terrible doubt... If I had known what I would face when I accepted the responsibility of the Referees Committee... unfortunately, we are being attacked by some of our own."
He warned the doubters, saying: "We will not accept any doubt, and we will strike with an iron hand, in accordance with laws and regulations, against anyone who undermines the right to refereeing or who casts doubt on refereeing without justification."
He added: "I will hold a meeting with Hany Abu Rida, the president of the Federation, to look for solutions regarding refereeing."
Regarding the controversy over the Al Ahly vs. Zed match in the second week of the league, Abdel Fattah said: "I spoke with Mohamed Marouf, and his account was completely different from what was circulated. We will listen to the VAR recording of the match."
He continued: "Al Ahly was asking for a penalty, and this is where the dialogue between Marouf and Wael Gomaa, Al Ahly's sporting director, took place... There is preventive refereeing where the referee warns the player."
Kareem Shatta, a program host on Al Hayat channel, claimed that Mohamed Marouf, the referee of the Al Ahly vs. Zed match, warned Wael Gomaa, the sporting director, to substitute Ali Mahmoud, as he had received a yellow card, before the channel's legal representative was summoned due to violations of media codes... Click here to read the details
The head of the Referees Committee added: "Zed club's statement did not address the Ali Mahmoud incident, but rather spoke about a problem from last season, and I told them that we are starting a new page."
Regarding his conversation with Wael Gomaa, Al Ahly's sporting director, he replied: "Wael Gomaa did not speak with me to clarify the truth of Mohamed Marouf's conversation with him."
Regarding the continuation of analyzing refereeing cases, he said: "We will continue to analyze cases, but if we find that this is being misunderstood, it will force us to step back from it."
He added: "I received phone calls, and all club officials want to get more than their due, and there is a trap set for refereeing, and they do not want to forget the past."
Abdel Fattah revealed his struggle with the available resources: "We have a small number of referees, not exceeding 2,200 referees in Egypt."
He concluded his remarks on the Mansoura vs. Farco match controversy: "Only video technology can clarify the situation of the Mansoura vs. Farco match. Professional matches are not played with VAR, and no player from Mansoura objected on the field to Farco's goal."
He finished: "The president of Mansoura spoke with me about the first match against Baladiyyat Al Mahalla. The referee may have made a mistake, but the mistake did not affect the result of the match."
Mansoura withdrew against Farco due to their objection to a goal awarded from offside.
The Egyptian Football Federation imposed sanctions on Mansoura club due to the withdrawal... Click here to read the details
