Zamalek Faces the Risk of Relegation to the Fourth Division

Egyptian football is facing a new crisis due to the match between Al-Ahly and Zamalek, scheduled for Tuesday in the 27th round of the league, which was canceled due to Zamalek’s withdrawal. Al-Ahly was awarded a 2-0 victory and three points.

Zamalek is now threatened with relegation to the fourth division if they continue to refuse to play league matches, starting with the fixture against Ceramica Cleopatra on Saturday. If they are deemed to have withdrawn from the competition, severe consequences could follow.

Al-Ahly raised their tally to 45 points from 19 matches, sitting in second place behind leaders Pyramids, who have 62 points from 25 matches. Meanwhile, Zamalek remains at 34 points from 21 matches before the deduction of the three points.

The crisis began at the end of the match between Zamalek and Al-Masry in the 26th round on June 17, which ended in a 1-2 loss for Zamalek. The Zamalek Board of Directors issued a statement demanding an investigation into the match officials, alleging a disallowed goal for their team.

Zamalek decided not to play any second-leg league matches until all postponed matches were rescheduled and a neutral committee was appointed to organize the tournament independently of the Club Association. They declared they would not play any match scheduled after facing Pharco unless their demands were met.

After playing the postponed Pharco match in the league on Friday, Zamalek’s spokesman confirmed that the team would not participate in the next league matches, starting with Al-Ahly, until their demands were fully addressed.

In response, the Club Association issued a statement addressing Zamalek’s four demands. They emphasized that the investigation of referees is under the jurisdiction of the Egyptian Federation, not the Association. They also stated that the tight schedule does not allow for postponing second-leg matches until all postponed matches are played, pointing out that Zamalek had already played four second-leg matches without previously raising objections.

The President of the Club Association, Ahmed Diab, reached out to Zamalek’s Chairman, Hussein Labib, for a meeting to resolve the crisis, but the meeting did not yield a resolution.

Minister of Youth and Sports, Ashraf Sobhi, also called for an emergency meeting with both Labib and Diab on Monday to resolve the issue and ensure the smooth progression of the league.

During the meeting, the minister reviewed the procedures for organizing the league, emphasizing the importance of applying regulations uniformly and addressing Zamalek’s concerns without disrupting the competition. He reiterated that the decision to play matches is the club’s responsibility and not subject to external interference.

Zamalek is expected to face Ceramica Cleopatra on Saturday. If they persist in their refusal to play and withdraw for a second time, they may face severe penalties.

A source within the Professional Clubs Association stated, “If Zamalek refuses to play the next match, regulations will be strictly enforced. Zamalek will be considered withdrawn from the league, resulting in a ban from competitions for a full season, and they will be relegated to the fourth division of the Federation’s competitions.”