Moataz El-Batrawy, general supervisor of Ceramica Cleopatra Club, has revealed that his team was caught off guard by the scheduling of their Egypt Cup clash against Zamalek.
He also confirmed plans to liaise with the Football Association to ensure the match is played behind closed doors.
Zamalek are set to face Ceramica Cleopatra on Tuesday, February 17, in the round of 16 of the Egypt Cup.
Speaking to On Sport 2, El-Batrawy said, “We were surprised by the timing of the Zamalek match, which falls during our training camp ahead of the Ghazl El-Mahalla game. We had anticipated that our next fixture after Ghazl El-Mahalla would be against Pyramids on February 20.”
He added, “There is no issue with playing on February 17. Our challenge, as with any team, is managing fixtures that come close together. Facing Zamalek and then Pyramids within three days is tough, but I cannot object to the date itself.”
El-Batrawy concluded by emphasizing that Ceramica Cleopatra will insist on the absence of spectators.
“The only condition we will enforce is that the Cup match is played without fans, as outlined in the letter we received. We will formally contact the Football Association to confirm this for the round of 16 tie against Zamalek.”
