Egyptian football is in the news this week, even in the British tabloids, for inglorious reasons.

Former referee Mark Clattenburg, who became head of refereeing for the Egyptian Football Federation five months ago, has just left his post on Wednesday, after being accused of being homosexual by the president of Zamalek, the prestigious Cairo club.


#BREAKING: #BNNEgypt Reports.



After only five months in office, former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg has resigned as the head of the Egyptian Referees Committee.

#Egypt #Football pic.twitter.com/5QjGwIlWCr

— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) January 26, 2023

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The

Daily Mail

and

The Sun

indeed reveal that Mark Clattenburg was afraid for his safety and that he therefore preferred to leave Egypt, after having been the subject of threats from Egyptian supporters.

Reassembled against the arbitration advances advocated by the 47-year-old Englishman, Mortada Mansour had accused him of having left his partner to start a homosexual relationship in Egypt.

Unfounded accusations that have had significant repercussions in a country where homophobia remains very present.

The LGBT community and gay couples are regularly prosecuted there, and they risk between six months and three years in prison.



The situation had therefore become untenable in Cairo for this emblematic referee of the Premier League in the 2010s, who had notably led the final of Euro 2016 between France and Portugal.

Meeting urgently on Wednesday, the Egyptian Football Federation (EFA) has just formalized the resignation of Mark Clattenburg, without commenting on the reasons.

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  • Homosexuality