The new Egyptian Premier League season will end in August 2021 and will not be stopped during the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, while fan attendance will remain banned, an Egyptian Football Association (EFA) official said on Saturday. The competition will start on 11 December and teams will play every three days in a congested schedule, the head of the EFA's competitions committee Mazen Marzouk said. "Matches will continue to be played during the Olympic Games," he added, saying that Enppi had opposed this decision. Egypt's U23 football team will take part in the Olympics. The EFA would have no option but to compress its league schedule after last season ended in late October due to a lengthy stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "No matches will be rescheduled whatever the reasons; and this will apply to all clubs no matter what," Marzouk said. He also said that in case a scenario similar to last season unfolded due to the pandemic, the league would be called off without declaring a winner if it hadn't reached its halfway stage. If it passed the halfway mark, a points-per-game system will determine the league champions, according to Marzouk. He also said that teams will still be allowed to make five substitutions and matches will continue to be played behind closed doors over coronavirus fears. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
