Pyramids stand by Ramadan Sobhi amid four year ban shock

Pyramids have firmly rejected rumours that they plan to terminate Ramadan Sobhi’s contract after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handed the winger a four-year suspension over alleged manipulation of a doping sample from a 2021 Confederation Cup match.

An official club source said they “support Ramadan in his crisis” and described talk of cancelling his deal as completely untrue, stressing that legal avenues are not yet exhausted and the ruling is not final.

The same source criticised those rushing to judge the player, arguing that many are using the case to attack and mock Sobhi because of football rivalries rather than facts. Pyramids see the matter as both a professional and human ordeal, and publicly wished that the 28-year-old would emerge safely from this “difficult human and professional ordeal.”

Sobhi, who joined Pyramids in 2020 after spells with Al Ahly, Stoke City and Huddersfield Town, has won the CAF Champions League and Egypt Cup with the club and was regarded as one of its key stars. Away from the pitch, he is also facing a separate legal case over alleged exam fraud, adding more pressure to an already turbulent period.

Lawyer Hani Zahran explained that CAS imposed the four-year ban after accepting an appeal from WADA against the earlier decision by Egypt’s anti-doping body NADO, which had cleared Sobhi. He emphasised that the CAS ruling is not the end of the road, revealing that the legal team is preparing an appeal to Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court within the 30-day window, arguing there were procedural flaws and disputable interpretations in the decision.

Zahran noted that the Swiss court will not re-examine the sporting facts but will look at whether CAS respected due process, neutrality and fairness. He believes the defence has documents and precedents that could help reduce or overturn the suspension and urged media and fans to avoid treating the punishment as definitive while the case is still open.