Enppi Boss Drops Relegation Bombshell: Cancelling It Again Would Be a Disaster
6 October 2025
Context and Relegation Stance
Ayman El-Sherei, the chairman of Enppi, says the Egyptian Professional Football Association will not cancel relegation again this season, despite the disappointing results of popular clubs in the Premier League.
He explained on a radio interview that the current conditions necessitated a 21-team league and that everyone agreed to this format.
He warned that while things are generally going well, he expects potential crises ahead due to the number of teams, and he does not believe relegation will be cancelled again this season; cancelling it would be a disaster because it would raise the number of teams to 24, which is extremely challenging.
Enppi's Youth System and Ismaily's Struggles
He is proud of Enppi’s youth setup, stating that the club’s academy is among the most successful in Egypt and has produced players who now feature in the first team.
He noted that there isn’t a club in Egypt without Enppi players, and he would have liked the national teams to benefit from Enppi’s academy across various youth levels, but that did not happen.
He added that Enppi sits fifth after ten matches with 17 points (4 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss), having scored 9 goals and conceded 5. Since becoming president in 2021, his goal has been to restore Enppi’s identity and strengthen the youth sectors, which has yielded talents progressing to the first team.
He emphasized that the youth sector at Enppi is the best in Egypt, and that no club in the country lacks Enppi players.
The Relegation Controversy and Ismaily's Current Form
Ismaily finished last season in the relegation group with 23 points, which led to relegation concerns, but most clubs voted to cancel relegation. This season’s format features 21 teams, with four relegation spots planned after a second phase that splits the league into two groups: a title group for the top seven and a “survival” group for 14 teams.
Ismaily is currently at the bottom of the table, with 4 points from ten games, including one win, one draw, and eight losses. They have scored two goals and conceded 13, highlighting the club’s current crisis and the risk of another relegation battle this season.
Administrative Instability and Calls for Support
The challenges for Ismaily extend beyond on-pitch performance to administrative and financial instability, with significant dissatisfaction directed at the club’s leadership. Resignations from some board members and ongoing legal matters with the Court of Arbitration for Sport have compounded the club’s difficulties, with officials calling for meetings with the youth and sports minister to seek support or a possible loan to navigate the obstacles.
Overall, the season is shaping up as a test of resilience for Egyptian football: a 21-team league, a premier youth product from Enppi, and an Ismaily clinging to survival amid governance turmoil.
Punchline 1: If relegation were a sniper, this season’s target keeps moving—good thing the league forgot to load the bullets. Punchline 2: In this EPL, predicting outcomes is easier than predicting the weather—just bring an umbrella for the surprises.
