Zamalek file official complaint against referees committee after Al Ahly defeat

Zamalek have formally petitioned the Egyptian Football Association over officiating in their 2-0 defeat to Al Ahly, demanding accountability for decisions they believe influenced the outcome of the Cairo derby.

As confirmed by the club’s board of directors led by Hussein Labib, a complaint has already been submitted against the referees committee following the high-stakes Premier League encounter held at the Cairo International Stadium.

In a statement, Zamalek expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment and performance of the officiating team, arguing that the standard of refereeing fell short of what was expected for a fixture of such importance.

The Egyptian giants claimed that several decisions went against them during the match, alleging that the officiating affected the efforts of their players and technical staff.

Zamalek further cited assessments by several refereeing experts who, according to the club, identified two penalty incidents that should have been awarded in their favour. They also questioned the handling of other contentious situations that they believe warranted a review through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

The club blamed the referees committee for what it considers an unfair outcome and raised concerns about the process used to select match officials for major domestic fixtures.

Zamalek also criticised the committee’s current management, insisting that improvements are needed to ensure fairness and consistency in Egyptian football.

Despite the strong wording of their complaint, the club maintained that its concerns were directed at the decisions and conduct of those responsible for referee appointments rather than the integrity of the entire refereeing system.

Zamalek stressed that it would continue to defend the interests of the club and its supporters, calling for match officials to be selected according to the demands of each fixture and for fairness to remain the guiding principle in domestic competitions.