Zamalek at a Crossroads: The Ministry Ties Club’s Fate to a 780 Million Pound Land Scandal

Zamalek faces the threat of a return to the era of appointed committees as the ministry ties the club’s fate to a 780 million pound case.

Background

Mohamed Al-Shazly, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, said that Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, the minister, referred the Public Prosecution's statement regarding the October land crisis to the ministry's Legal Affairs department to study it in detail and map out all possible legal scenarios.

Al-Shazly added in a TV interview that it was decided to postpone any decisions related to the Zamalek board until final results of investigations and audits being conducted by the Illicit Gains Authority and the Public Funds unit, regarding what was raised in the Prosecution statement about suspicions of public money misuse.

Current Developments

Regarding the land dispute, the spokesperson stressed that the state values Zamalek as a historic club and that the Ministry was coordinating with the Ministry of Housing to find alternative land solutions for the seized plot.

The spokesperson urged the Zamalek board to show flexibility in managing this file, noting that authorities have shown great flexibility while the situation has reached a dead end due to the project not being completed since 2003. The current flexibility aims to save Zamalek, even though Housing is not obligated to provide an alternative site.

He criticized a formal Zamalek statement rejecting the alternative land and insisting on the seized land, stressing this is fundamentally unacceptable because rules and regulations applied in the withdrawal decision must be respected; negotiations should occur through the ministries and competent bodies, not via social media statements.

Concerning the large amount (780 million pounds) and the fallout from the land withdrawal, Al-Shazly said obtaining these funds while awaiting the Prosecution decision is dangerous, and awaiting the Prosecution and Illicit Gains Authority decision is necessary as it could impact Zamalek.

He blamed the crisis on the mismanagement of successive boards since 2003, which deprived the club and its fans of the chance to establish a branch due to the 'catastrophic' handling of this file.

He concluded by clarifying the fate of the current board: "If investigations definitively confirm a public money misuse charge, there will be a halt and removal of the Zamalek board, and a temporary committee will be appointed."

He also urged the Zamalek board to exercise restraint, avoid official statements, and immediately provide documents proving their position to the Prosecution regarding the land and the expenditure of 780 million pounds, instead of resorting to social media.

The Prosecution stated today that before presidential approval to extend the deadline or obtain building permits, the club sold parts of buildings not yet constructed to official bodies whose funds are public, and whose activities fall outside sports; from those bodies it received about 780 million pounds, and the use of funds is currently under review, raising suspicions of public money misuse.

Punchline 1: If football were a math problem, this is the moment where deadlines multiply and red tape adds up to a grand total.

Punchline 2: In this league, the transfer window is closed, but the transfer of documents never ends.