Masress : Zamalek's Ultras pressure authorities to attend Champions League tie

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Zamalek's Ultras pressure authorities to attend Champions League tie
Ultras White Knights blocked a road in Cairo in an attempt to pressure authorities into allowing them to attend Friday's game against DR Congo's AS Vita Club

Hatem Maher Published in Ahram Online on 13 - 03 - 2013

Hardcore football fans of Zamalek football club, known as the Ultras White Knights, blocked a vital road on the outskirts of Cairo on Wednesday to protest a decision by the Egyptian authorities to prevent them from attending an African Champions League game on Friday.
Lingering security concerns have prompted Egypt's interior ministry to abstain from securing the game. The Egyptian army stepped in to fill the void but said the game against DR Congo's AS Vita club would be played behind closed doors at Alexandria's military-owned Borg El-Arab Stadium.
The Ultras White Knights briefly blocked the 'mehwar', a major artery connecting the suburb of Giza to 6th October City on the outskirts of the capital, and said they would escalate their protests to demand that the authorities review their decision.
"The Zamalek fans are prohibited from attending a game … because of some dilapidated seats [at Borg El-Arab Stadium] which cannot bear the influx of supporters," they said in a statement, referring to a an LE1 million fine imposed on the club after many seats were dismantled during a Champions League preliminary-round game against Chad's Gazellle.
"We waited for a long time and hoped the problem between the club and the ministry of defence would be resolved, but patience has limits. Our wisdom and silence are not weakness, but a recharging of batteries for a starting signal."
Domestic matches are being played behind closed doors, but a limited number of fans were recently permitted to attend continental matches.
However, recent riots in Cairo, which followed a court verdict acquitting seven police officials in the Port Said killings trial, have forced a re-think, with authorities fearing more violence.
Zamalek chairman Mamdouh Abbas called on fans to remain calm and urged them "to set an example to follow in terms of discipline."
The club's general manager was quoted as saying that a top police official in Alexandria had promised him that up to 3,000 spectators would be allowed to attend Friday's encounter. However, there has been no official confirmation from the ministry of interior.
Zamalek, who won the last of their five Champions League titles in 2002, host AS Vita Club in the first leg of the competition's round of 32.
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