The controversy surrounding the Cairo derby between Al Ahly and Zamalek has continued beyond the final whistle, with refereeing decisions triggering a fresh dispute between Zamalek and the Egyptian Football Association’s Referees Committee.

Al Ahly secured a 2-0 victory over Zamalek on Sunday at Cairo International Stadium in the Egyptian Premier League.

However, several decisions made by Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic sparked criticism from the White Knights after the match.

Zamalek subsequently submitted an official complaint against the refereeing team, calling for a review of the disputed incidents.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Football Association officials have explained how the complaint will be handled and what steps may follow.

Referees Committee Responds

Egyptian Football Association officials confirmed that Zamalek’s complaint will be referred to the Referees Committee, which is responsible for handling refereeing matters and responding to the club’s concerns.

The officials explained that the Slovenian referee was appointed following formal communication with the relevant authorities.

Several elite referees had been unavailable because of their commitments in European domestic competitions during the same week.

EFA officials also contacted Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the Referees Committee, who explained that the committee does not have direct authority over foreign referees and therefore cannot hold them accountable in the same way as Egyptian officials.

Abdel Fattah pointed out that referees may interpret certain incidents differently, particularly when comparing foreign officials with those working in the Egyptian Premier League.

He also stated that the committee could not be held responsible for the Slovenian referee’s technical performance during the match, especially as Obrenovic is an internationally ranked official.

This position leaves Zamalek waiting for an official response to its complaint and clarification on whether any additional action will be taken to review the disputed decisions.

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Zamalek Threatens Escalation

On the other side, Maher Gharib, Zamalek’s media director, stressed that the club would not ignore what it considers refereeing mistakes during the derby against Al Ahly.

Speaking to Mega FM radio, Gharib explained that the Egyptian Referees Committee could prepare video clips of the disputed incidents and send them to the Slovenian Football Association for further examination.

According to Gharib, this would allow the relevant authorities to review the decisions made by referee Rade Obrenovic and assess whether they were correct.

He added that Zamalek expects an official apology from the Referees Committee over the decisions the club believes were incorrect, as well as formal communication with the Slovenian Football Association regarding the referee’s performance.

The club’s concerns extend beyond the derby itself.

Gharib revealed that Zamalek has reservations about certain members of the Referees Committee, particularly regarding how referees are selected for important matches.

He warned that Zamalek could demand the departure of some committee officials if similar refereeing controversies continue and the club believes its rights are being affected.

These developments come as Zamalek attempts to move forward from its derby defeat and focus on upcoming matches while continuing to pursue an official response to its complaint.

Meanwhile, Al Ahly benefited from the victory beyond the domestic competition, climbing seven places in the FootballDatabase world club rankings, moving from 88th to 81st.

With Zamalek demanding an apology and the Referees Committee maintaining that its authority over foreign officials is limited, the dispute remains unresolved.

The next step will depend on the official response to Zamalek’s complaint and whether the matter ends with an explanation or develops into wider demands for changes within Egyptian football’s refereeing system.