The tension surrounding the 133rd Cairo Derby between Al Ahly and Zamalek did not end with the final whistle.

The match, played in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League, has sparked further controversy over refereeing decisions and the television broadcast.

In the hours following the game, Zamalek raised objections to several refereeing decisions and filed a complaint concerning the match broadcast after chants from some Al Ahly supporters were considered offensive to the club and its fans.

The controversy has led to widespread discussion, with different opinions about the referee's decisions and who was responsible for controlling the crowd noise heard by television viewers.

Zamalek Challenges Refereeing Decisions

Zamalek decided to take official steps to challenge the performance of the refereeing team following several controversial incidents during the match against Al Ahly.

The club's main objections focused on two incidents in which it believed penalties should have been awarded, raising questions about the role of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in reviewing those situations.

Zamalek believes some decisions affected the course of the match and has called for the incidents to be reviewed to determine whether the officials made the correct calls.

The complaints have also sparked debate about the Slovenian referee who officiated the derby, particularly because appointing foreign officials was intended to reduce refereeing disputes in one of Egyptian football's biggest matches.

The discussion has extended beyond the two penalty appeals to other individual incidents during the game, with calls for a clearer explanation of the standards used by the referee.

However, these situations remain open to different interpretations until the relevant authorities provide further clarification.

Differences in opinion do not automatically prove that refereeing mistakes occurred.

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Broadcast Complaint Adds to Derby Tension

Zamalek's objections also extended to the television coverage after the club submitted a complaint to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation concerning the match director and the handling of crowd noise during the closing minutes.

The complaint followed chants from some Al Ahly supporters that Zamalek considered offensive to the club and its fans.

Zamalek objected to how clearly those chants could be heard during the live broadcast.

The incident has created different opinions about who was responsible for the sound reaching viewers and whether the matter was connected to the match director or the technical team controlling the broadcast audio.

One view is that adjusting crowd noise is mainly the responsibility of the broadcaster and its sound team, rather than the match director alone.

Another view is that greater care is needed when selecting camera shots and managing audio during major football matches, particularly when chants could increase tension between rival supporters.

The disagreement has raised questions about how broadcasters should handle crowd chants during live matches and how they can balance showing the real stadium atmosphere with preventing offensive language from reaching viewers.

The controversy has also highlighted the importance of coordination between production and sound teams to deliver professional coverage without increasing tension between supporters.

As the debate continues, the consequences of the derby now go beyond what happened on the pitch, covering refereeing decisions, VAR, television production, and official complaints.

The main question is whether these complaints will lead to a review of the disputed decisions and broadcast procedures or simply become another chapter in the long history of controversy surrounding Al Ahly and Zamalek matches.