Zamalek seek parliamentary scrutiny of Zizo contract dispute as Bezerra return nears

Zamalek have said they will raise concerns over footballers’ contracts in Egypt’s parliament amid their continuing dispute with former player Ahmed Sayed Zizo, while the club expects Brazilian midfielder Juan Bezerra to return to Cairo within days.

Zamalek treasurer Hossam El-Mendouh, who is also a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives, said the club wanted the state to review player contracts after claims that some agreements registered with the Egyptian Football Association may not reflect the sums requested by players.

“There is a player who asked us (Zamalek) for 80m Egyptian pounds per season, then we hear that his contract at the Football Association is only 5m pounds. Is this logical?” El-Mendouh said in televised comments on Sunday.

He confirmed that he was referring to Zizo, who refused to renew his contract with Zamalek before joining their traditional rivals Al Ahly on a free transfer.

The disagreement between Zizo and Zamalek intensified after his move, with both sides now having complaints before the Egyptian Football Association.

“Of course I mean Zizo, and there are other contracts in the same form,” El-Mendouh said. “I will raise this matter in parliament and the state must intervene to review the files of players’ contracts. When Hany Abou Rida, the president of the Egyptian Football Association, says there are valid contracts and other contracts that are not valid, this certainly raises questions.”

Zamalek’s dispute with Zizo is separate from the club’s ongoing issue involving Bezerra, who has been absent from the club since the beginning of the season.

El-Mendouh said Bezerra was expected back in Cairo within days and insisted that Zamalek was handling the matter through official and legal channels. He said the club would not discuss the possibility of selling the player until he returned and talks had taken place.

“In life, there are issues that require negotiation, and we are communicating officially and legally in order to reach the greatest benefit from the matter,” El-Mendouh said.

He added that Zamalek believed its legal position was sound and warned that further legal action could follow if Bezerra did not return.

“Talk of selling him will only happen after he returns first and we speak to him, and this is what we told him,” he said. “Our legal position is sound, and if he does not return, there will be serious legal procedures.”

El-Mendouh also reiterated the club’s position on Bezerra’s potential transfer. “Zamalek said in an official statement that it requested $6m for the sale of Bezerra,” he said.

The comments come as Zamalek continue to manage two high-profile player disputes: the disagreement with Zizo following his move to Al Ahly and the unresolved absence of Bezerra. The club says both matters are being pursued through formal procedures, while the proposed parliamentary review would focus more broadly on the way players’ contracts are recorded and assessed in Egypt.