Zamalek’s Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro, brushed aside concerns over refereeing decisions as his team gears up for a Cairo Capital Cup showdown against Petrojet on Sunday at the Military College Stadium.
With the White Knights chasing the title in the tournament’s third round, Peseiro emphasized his focus remains on securing victory rather than the nationality of the officials.
Speaking at a press conference, Peseiro said, “I am not concerned about appointing a foreign refereeing crew for the Ceramica Cleopatra match in the Egypt Cup. All referees are likely to make mistakes, but the important thing is that mistakes are not repeated.” He pointed to past games, saying, “There were penalties that were not awarded to us by foreign referees, such as the Al-Ahly match, and there were penalties that were not awarded by Egyptian referees, such as the Petrojet and ZED matches, and it is possible for the referee to make a mistake.”
He hinted at possible lineup tweaks, adding, “Everything is possible in tomorrow’s match regarding the introduction of new players into the lineup, but there must be balance. Therefore, the rotation process is done carefully. If I put 11 players without competition and harmony, regardless of their quality, they will not perform well. I cannot make many changes to the lineup at once.”
“The players need to develop, and making many changes to the lineup will not be good for the team or the players themselves. Therefore, I rely on a mix of those who participate regularly and some players who are not participating.”
