Al-Ahly has formally accused the Football Association of violating the constitution in the Ceramica affair

Al-Ahly issued an official statement addressing the Football Association, stating: “In reference to your letter received by us at 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, 11 April 2026, which indicated that the Association had decided to permit only ‘two’ technical and administrative officials to listen to the on-pitch referee Mahmoud Wafa’s and video assistant referee Mahmoud Ashour’s communications during last Tuesday’s Al Ahly–Ceramica league match, We wish to emphasise that no regulation or legal provision grants your esteemed Federation the right to determine who represents the club at this hearing, or to specify the identity of those present, whether they be technical, administrative or officials.”

“Who represents Al Ahly at this hearing is an inherent right of the club and its board, and they bear full responsibility as long as they do not contravene any regulations or laws. The board’s authority to designate representatives for any meeting, hearing, event or function is protected by the Egyptian Constitution and other relevant laws. As a legal entity, the club enjoys full autonomy in choosing its representatives, and any attempt to restrict this right undermines its legal personality, contravenes the Egyptian Constitution, and breaches fundamental principles of justice.”

He continued: “We received your letter on 9 April 2026, stating that the Referees’ Committee had agreed to let our club listen to the communications between the match referee and the video assistant referee, in the spirit of transparency. However, the committee did not specify who was authorised to listen in… You then scheduled a meeting with Al-Ahly representatives for Sunday at 12:00 noon. If your esteemed association truly values transparency, what harm would it do to allow Al-Ahly to choose its own representatives?”

“We informed your esteemed association this morning, 11 April 2026, that a club delegation led by board member Sayed Abdel Hafiz would attend at the specified time of 12:00 noon tomorrow, Sunday, to listen to the conversations in question. This is a fundamental right of the club, so why did your esteemed association wait until after official working hours—close to midnight—to contact us about a decision that lacks any regulatory or legal basis?”

He continued: “Your letter, which we received only two hours ago, states that monitoring is limited to the match’s technical and administrative staff. This claim is surprising and illogical, as the monitoring is being carried out at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association—a body that should be a home for all clubs… as you stipulated, not at the match venue or in the technical area, as your letter indicated. Does the Federation’s headquarters even have a designated technical area for receiving such staff?”

Your letter also claims that monitoring communications between the on-pitch referee and the video assistant referee (VAR) is unprecedented and proves impartiality… While we appreciate this claim of impartiality, your esteemed association—led by a member of both the African and International Federations—must surely know that such access has been standard practice for clubs worldwide, in both Arab and European leagues, for many years.”

Read also: “Bullying and refereeing corruption”: Al-Ahly launches scathing attack on the referee of the Ceramica match

He added: “We remind you that this hearing is not about technical or administrative matters; it is a legal, judicial process. The hearing is part of the official proceedings concerning the match in question and the events that occurred during it, This includes both the sanctions imposed on Al Ahly by the Competitions Department of the Professional Clubs Association—against which the club appealed to the Association’s Board of Directors and to the EFA Disciplinary Committee—and the complaints the club filed with the Referees’ Committee and the Disciplinary Committee regarding the match referee.”

He concluded: “Al-Ahly therefore reserves its right to send whoever it chooses to the hearing, provided they carry official club documentation confirming their authorisation. We trust you will respect the rule of law and Al Ahly’s right to choose its official representatives.”