The fallout from the Al Ahly and Zamalek summit did not end with Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovič’s final whistle, as the conflict shifted from the Cairo International Stadium to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). The White Knights held the Referee Committee responsible for their 2-0 defeat, accusing them of poor judgment in selecting the foreign officiating crew.
Essam Abdel Fattah, Head of the Referee Committee, responded by escalating the debate, restricting his committee’s responsibility solely to bringing in the referee. He emphasized that Zamalek’s official complaint would be referred to his committee by the EFA before an official response is formulated.
Speaking on OnTime Sports FM, Abdel Fattah said: “I am not accountable for the foreign referee; my responsibility was merely bringing him in. Hold us accountable for Egyptian referees instead.” He added that his committee does not favor one side over another and cannot guarantee a referee’s performance, even if they rank among the best in the world.
The Referee Committee chief continued: “The EFA will present Zamalek’s complaint to us, and we will respond to it,” explaining that differing refereeing schools mean some European officials do not blow the whistle for minor contacts that Egyptian referees might deem fouls—referencing incidents involving Chico Banza during the derby.
The committee had selected Obrenovič after several European associations declined to send elite refereeing crews due to overlapping commitments in the UEFA Champions League. The Slovenian referee has held FIFA status since 2017, previously officiating matches such as France vs. Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, alongside experience across various Arab leagues.
In contrast, Zamalek described the officiating crew in their statement as “obscure and far below the magnitude of the match,” accusing them of making biased decisions that influenced the outcome. They cited unawarded penalties and a failure to properly review several incidents via VAR. The club directly blamed the Referee Committee for the loss, claiming their selections lacked fairness and bowed to pre-season pressures.
Zamalek’s primary objections centered on Chico Banza going down inside the penalty area during challenges involving Marwan Attia and Achraf Dari, alongside protests over Ahmed Sayed Zizo’s alleged offside position during Mohamed Hany’s opening goal. Criticism was also aimed at the referee’s physical fitness, excessive talking with players, poor management of disciplinary sanctions, and a failure to brandish deserved yellow cards to both sides.
Al Ahly secured the 133rd derby via goals from Mohamed Hany and Monsef Bakrar in the 39th and 80th minutes, lifting the Red Devils to 16 points at the top of the table, while Zamalek suffered their first defeat, remaining on 13 points in third place.
