The Zamalek Land Controversy: Prosecution Unveils Delays, Extensions, and Public Funds Questions
14 December 2025
Key Updates
The Public Prosecution released a formal statement confirming that it has received several complaints about the land belonging to Zamalek Club in October City, Giza, and said it has opened investigations, revealing several facts about the crisis.
The statement noted that the land was allocated to Zamalek since 2003 and was withdrawn from the club on several occasions due to a lack of seriousness in execution and non-compliance with conditions; the last withdrawal occurred in 2020.
It added that the club was given a two-year deadline to complete all constructions, ending on April 3, 2020, but a survey by the New Urban Communities Authority showed that actual progress barely reached 2% of the planned works.
The Prosecution also said that the club later requested more building space and an additional four-year extension, and that the decision by the authority required presidential approval because the club had failed to meet the original deadline.
Findings and Actions
Moreover, the Prosecution stated that before presidential approval for the extension or for any new licenses, the club sold parts of buildings before construction to official bodies, whose funds are public, and whose activities were unrelated to the club's sports mission.
Zamalek reportedly received around 780 million Egyptian pounds from those bodies, and investigators are examining where the money went, raising a flag of potential public-money misuse.
Based on these facts, the Public Prosecution ordered a panel of experts in illicit gains and public funds to scrutinize the matters in detail and will disclose the panel's findings once the final report is received.
The Prosecution concluded by reiterating its commitment to safeguarding public wealth and tackling any corruption within the framework of the rule of law.
Punchline 1: If land could talk, it would demand equity.
Punchline 2: In football, the field is the only thing that never signs a contract—it stays in play even when the paperwork isn’t.
