The Somali referee closes in on the Egyptian league: the final decision rests with the Football Association | Goal.com
Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the Egyptian Referees Committee, has revealed an official request from the Somali Federation to bring in referee Omar Artan to officiate in the Egyptian league. He has no objection, provided the Egyptian Football Association signs off on it.
Artan had made contact, Abdel Fattah said in television statements, but not with the aim of officiating the clash between Al Ahly and Zamalek. "He sent an official letter from the Somali Federation requesting to officiate in the Egyptian league. I have no objection to that, but we are waiting for the approval of the Egyptian Federation, and if the Football Association agrees, we will host him in the Egyptian league as soon as possible," he explained.
Behind the scenes of selecting the referee for the big match
Abdel Fattah also lifted the lid on how Slovenian referee Rade Obrenović came to be appointed for the big match between Al Ahly and Zamalek, scheduled for Sunday 11 October at Cairo Stadium in the sixth round of the Egyptian league.
The committee contacted the federations of the five major European leagues. Germany, England and Italy all declined to send referees. Portugal's response came late, and the available crew was not from the elite, a problem that applied to the Spanish options too.
Abdel Fattah added that he personally reached out to a number of referees, only for them to apologise due to their commitments, especially UEFA Champions League matches. The committee then settled on the Slovenian, whom he described as the best in his country.
His stance on foreign refereeing
Defending his officials, Abdel Fattah pointed out that criticism of refereeing is not limited to Egypt but extends to Spain and other major countries. The referee, he reckons, is often the weakest link in the football system.
Getting fans to see refereeing as a strong element is difficult, he said, adding that the Spanish, French and Italian leagues do not use foreign referees to officiate their matches, regardless of the level of refereeing.
The truth about Mahmoud Ashour's position
On the position of referee Mahmoud Ashour, Abdel Fattah explained that an apology is the most accurate description of what happened. Ashour had wanted from the start to work in the media, before agreeing to join the committee following discussions, then taking his final decision. Abdel Fattah affirmed he respected it.
He also revealed moves to improve the psychological side for referees, through individual sessions and, in future, specialists in psychological support. Some referees had already turned to psychologists out of frustration.
Прочети оригиналната новина
