With numerous coaches and players increasingly grumbling about the Egyptian referees' incompetence, the million dollar question is, has money been the nub of the long-standing problem? Lack of orientation and awareness of the football rules have been repeatedly cited as reasons for the poor refereeing in domestic competitions. But more importantly, would the referees actually bother to improve their skills and level of performance under the current circumstances? The referees have been moaning about their insufficient salaries and perks for many years, whereas the Egyptian FA clearly has no plans to implement a pay rise anytime soon. Samir Mahmoud Othman, a well-known international referee, is adamant that almost all his Egyptian peers have other occupations to bring home the bacon. From his perspective, refereeing can't be deemed a profession in Egypt, and that what makes the majority of the referees, especially at local level, indifferent to their careers. "In Egypt, being a referee is not nearly enough for a man to afford staples," Othman, who's also a branch manager of a reputable bank, said during a lengthy interview with Dream TV. "I think more of refereeing as a hobby rather than a line of work. "In Europe, you can make a living by being a referee, but in Egypt you must have a side career. "The Egyptian referees pay for traveling, outfits, boots, everything. They don't reclaim any expenses and they are all terribly underpaid.
Coaches and referees are always at each other's throats "The only reason why I do this is that I love it. I don't do it for money of course and that's the case with everyone." Your Ticket Please! Othman is convinced that no one takes heed of the Egyptian referees' substandard working conditions. Apart from the below-par wages, he underlined more negative aspects of the job, administrative shortcomings including. "A referee might struggle to enter the stadium," Othman explained. "Security men could well ask him to show them his ticket, and wouldn't believe him when he says he's there to officiate the game! "Many people might not know that this kind of disorganization is commonplace in the Egyptian Premier League. There are no standard procedures." According to Othman, referees are not well respected on the pitch either. "The Egyptian FA has to provide the referees with greater protection," he elaborated. "A player would only be handed a three-match suspension for spitting on a referee or swearing at him. "Assaults on the referees are common because sanctions are not as harsh as they must be." Feeble Excuse
Al-Mestekawi On the other hand, prominent Egyptian pundit Hassan Al-Mestekawi has a whole different viewpoint, saying some of the Egyptian referees are just not acting professionally. "Of course money is important, but as long as it's your job you have to be dedicated to it," Al-Mestekawi told FilGoal.com. "The inadequate pay is a feeble excuse which the referees have been making for ages to justify their mistakes, but it's no longer acceptable. "They have been repeating the same justifications over and over again in order to cover their blunders. "But nowadays there are so many cameras in each stadium; therefore their slip-ups are all exposed. "In the past, this kind of technology was not available, but today it is. Putting all these faults down to low incomes and the same old stereotypes is really absurd." In the same breath, Al-Mestekawi blamed the experts who come down hard on the referees quite frequently. "A number of sports presenters usually hit out at the referees while sitting in air-conditioned studios, and keep highlighting their mistakes. "These errors are always likely to be made during games; they shouldn't make a big deal out of them on every possible occasion. "Instead, they ought to criticize a referee for his fitness, weight or attitude. "After all, his personality is what matters the most. Any referee must have a strong one," Al-Mestekawi concluded.
