A source inside the Egyptian Football Association revealed the position of the Egyptian Premier League, which was suspended due to the outbreak of the Corona virus, after the meeting of the five-year committee with the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi.
The Egyptian League had stopped like the rest of the world championships and Al-Ahly led the championship by a large margin over its nearest competitors.
The source said to the Egyptian “Filgul” site: “There was absolutely no conversation with the Minister of Sports regarding the cancellation of the league, and all the talk during the session with the Minister of Sports was about the league’s resumption plan. A proposal for the return of the league was already submitted to the Minister of Sports and includes the teams’ return to training beginning in June Next, with the League returning at the beginning of July, the plan includes the continuation of the League for a period of two and a half months, and the Minister of Sports is expected to present the proposal for the return of the League, to the Prime Minister during the coming period, which in turn will take the decision.
The source confirmed that the decision to return to the league does not only belong to the Minister of Sports, who told us that the Egyptian Cabinet is the decision-maker.
On the other hand, the leader of the Egyptian civil arrangement clarified his position on the championship through an official statement after the meeting of Mahmoud Al-Khatib, the chairman of the board with the members of the board, where he stated in the statement that was published on the official website, which stated:
- Taking any decision regarding the football season other than completing the competitions, even at a later time, results in depriving the clubs of the rest of their marketing returns according to their contracts with the sponsoring companies and the broadcasting rights, etc.
- Al-Ahly and other clubs assumed the equivalent of 85% of the players ’salaries, technical, administrative and medical devices for the current season .. On the other hand, the clubs did not receive the same percentage of their financial returns (sponsorship - broadcast - ... etc.) and if the activity was canceled, you will not get More than 50%
- there is no reason to rush to cancel the decision, especially since there is still enough time after the Olympic Games to be postponed for the next year, as well as the African qualifiers for the teams. And if we take into consideration that the current season started last September, and therefore the new season can start in October, as happened in the past. What about the period of stopping from May to October if the cancellation occurs and there are three Egyptian clubs looking for strong friction before completing their career in the African Championships.
Canceling the activity results in significant technical losses and wastes the legitimate rights of clubs that have had legal positions in the competitions in which they participate, there are clubs that have spent a lot to achieve their goals, whether in coronation or Egyptian football representation in the continental championships or the achievement of advanced positions or non-decline or promotion to the highest degree Among the competitions and perhaps the largest patrols in the world (Italy - Spain - England - Germany) is still adhering to the resumption of activity to preserve the legal and technical rights of all clubs .. Even the European leagues that were canceled there was a concern for the rights of clubs and their legal positions as was done in In France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
- The abolition of football activity, of course followed by the cancellation of the rest of the activities in other games, which results in the demobilization of devices and workers in these games to get rid of the burdens of their monthly salaries, and this is inconsistent with the orientations of the state and its institutions in preserving the rights of employees and workers as well as temporary employment.
- The state, with all its institutions, is doing its utmost to reach the difficult equation between safe return, resumption of activity, and the preservation of the safety of citizens on one side, and the rotation of the production wheel on the other side, which is what most countries of the world seek.
In conclusion, the Al-Ahly Club renewed its emphasis on the need to work towards the resumption of sporting activity and the preservation of material and sports rights and legal centers for all clubs. Bearing in mind the state’s view and assessment of the situation in all its aspects, it is the most capable of preserving everyone’s safety.