Zamalek have issued a strongly worded official statement expressing deep dissatisfaction with what the club described as decisive refereeing errors following their elimination from the Egypt Cup.
The defending champions bowed out of the competition at the round of 16 stage on Tuesday after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Ceramica Cleopatra at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, bringing an abrupt end to their title defence.
In its statement, Zamalek made clear that its frustration had been building for some time, stressing that previous silence should not be mistaken for weakness.
The club stated: “The Zamalek Club Board of Directors expresses its strong dissatisfaction with the continued refereeing errors that the team has been subjected to recently, stressing that its silence in the past was not due to weakness, but rather came out of concern for the regularity of local competitions and not to affect them despite the repeated refereeing errors against the team, as well as the terrible pressure of matches in a few days and in more than one continental and local tournament, in order to uphold the general interest of Egyptian football.”
Zamalek further argued that the circumstances surrounding the Cup tie undermined the principle of fairness, particularly after the club’s request for a postponement was rejected.
The statement added: “The proof of this is the holding of the first football team’s match against Ceramica in the round of 16 of the Egypt Cup, in the absence of justice and equal opportunities between the two teams, despite the club’s demand to postpone it, especially since Zamalek is representing Egypt in a continental championship. It also witnessed clear refereeing errors, and came under the influence of a set of actions that preceded the match, suggesting that Zamalek’s loss of the match would inevitably occur.”
The club also questioned the process surrounding the appointment of match officials, highlighting what it described as unusual timing. Zamalek pointed to the late announcement of the refereeing team, which was only revealed after midnight on the eve of the match, and raised concerns over the decision not to appoint an international refereeing crew for video assistant referee duties.
Escalating the matter, the board directed its demands toward the Egyptian Football Association.
“The Zamalek Club Board of Directors places the Football Association before its responsibilities, demanding a review of the match tape, taking the necessary measures against the refereeing team and punishing them, and not assigning any future matches for the team to this team. An official complaint in this regard will be sent to the Football Association,” the statement continued.
Zamalek concluded by insisting that the Cup exit would not mark the end of the issue.
“If Zamalek has lost a championship it had held since last season, the club will not stand idly by in the face of the recent decisions that were unfair to Zamalek. The board of directors affirms that it will take all legal measures to protect the rights of the club and its fans, and anyone who imagines that Zamalek’s rights will be lost in vain is mistaken,” the statement added.
The club’s stance sets the stage for further tension between Zamalek and the football authorities, as attention now turns to whether the complaints will prompt any official review or disciplinary action.
