CAIRO - The board of Al-Ahly Club have rejected the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) sanctions on Al-Masry and decided to boycott all EFA-organised competitions and tournaments, said a senior Ahly official. "We reject the EFA sanctions on Al-Masry Club in the wake of the Port Said tragedy, because these sanctions are at odds with what happened at Port Said Stadium, ignoring the magnitude of the disaster," Mahmoud Allam, the director-general of Al-Ahly Club, announced at a press conference to announce the board's decision. "We will firstly appeal against the sanctions to the EFA's Appeals Committee," he explained, adding that, if the Appeals Committee rejects their case, the club will assign Gianpaolo Monteneri, a Swiss lawyer, to appeal to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body of soccer, and to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), so that the Red Devils get their rights and their martyrs' rights. Last Friday, the EFA announced the freezing of the first team of Al-Masry Club of Port Said for two years and a home-play ban lasting three years, in the wake of the events that claimed the lives of at least 74 Ahly fans and injured around 1,000 more in what is known as the 'Port Said Massacre' on February 1. According to legal procedures, Ahly have the right to appeal to FIFA within ten days of the sanctions being issued. Seconds after the final whistle at the match on February 1, thousands of supporters of Al-Masry invaded the pitch, throwing bottles and rocks at Al-Ahly fans. The EFA decision excludes Al-Masry's youth and junior teams from the sanctions. The EFA statement added that Al-Ahly Club will have to play four matches behind closed doors, while the team's technical coach, Manuel José da Silva, and team captain Hossam Ghali will be suspended for four years and each fined LE5,000 (around $830) for bad behaviour. "We will boycott all the sports activities and competitions, including Egypt's Cup and the Martyrs' Cup, to be held under the auspices of EFA interim board," Allam pointed out, stressing that EFA interim board is not eligible to issue any decisions affecting the future of Egyptian soccer. "The club put the accent on its earlier decision [taken on February 2] to boycott any sports activities in Port Said for five years," Allam stressed. In related news, thousands of Al-Ahly Ultras members continued their sit-in Wednesday outside the Parliament building in central Cairo for the fifth day in a row, protesting EFA's sanctions on Al-Masry. They expressed their anger and dissatisfaction at the sanctions, describing them as 'unreasonable and ridiculous'. In Port Said, as well, the punishment against Al-Masry has triggered violent confrontations between policemen and the club's supporters, who tried to break into an administrative building belonging to the Suez Canal Authority. Earlier this month, Egypt's Prosecutor-General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud referred 75 suspects to the criminal court in the wake of the violence that left more than 70 Ahly fans dead. The defendants include nine officers, and three officials and fans of Al-Masry club. Two minors will be referred to the juvenile court. The Prosecutor-General's statement also recommended the installation of surveillance cameras in football stadiums nationwide, to monitor all the stadiums' approaches and the entire internal and external areas. In the wake of the Port Said tragedy nearly two months ago, the Egyptian Premier League was postponed and then cancelled, with most soccer clubs suspending all their sporting activities and declaring 40 days of mourning. Allam stressed the significance of a speedy trial for all those responsible for the Port Said massacre, whatever their position or authority. Meanwhile, Al-Ahly's Football Committee has agreed that the Red Devils will play a number of friendlies outside the country next month. The club will face Saudi Al-Nahda club on April 16. This, a testimonial match for Al-Nahda player Nasser Al-Mansour, will be played at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam. Prior to this, the Red Devils will play the Kuwaiti club of Kuwait in Kuwait, while the team may also play a Paraguayan club in this Arab Gulf state too. This match against a club from Paraguay has been suggested, as the friendly against Spanish outfit Getafe, due on April 11, has now fallen through. The Spanish club have apologised as they have an important Spanish Premier League match against Barcelona on April 10. On Sunday, Al-Ahly drew 0-0 against Ethiopian Coffee in Addis Ababa in the round of 32 of the African Champions League (ACL). The second ACL leg will take place on April 8 in Cairo.
