Abdel Fattah: Obradovic is the best referee for the big match, and his team earns $20,000.
Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the referees committee at the Egyptian Football Association, confirmed that the selection of the officiating team for the high-stakes match between Al Ahly and Zamalek does not depend on the referee's nationality. He clarified that the priority is always given to the referee who is most prepared and experienced to manage the game.
Abdel Fattah stated in television remarks that the best referee in Africa at the moment could be from Somalia, even though the Somali league lacks the necessary strength. Therefore, the referee's nationality is not a criterion for choosing who will officiate the big match.
Essam Abdel Fattah explains the choice of Rade for the Al Ahly-Zamalek clash
The head of the referees committee explained that Rade, who has been selected to officiate the match, is considered one of the elite referees in Europe and has previously managed the Belgium vs. France match in the UEFA Nations League efficiently. He emphasized that the committee was keen to choose a referee with the appropriate experience for the match.
Abdel Fattah pointed out that the Egyptian Football Association had previously employed a Spanish officiating team for one of the big matches, but they were not elite referees and lacked the necessary experience. He confirmed that the current selection was made differently.
He added, "All referees in Europe have commitments to UEFA Champions League matches, and we chose the best available referee to manage the big match, which is Slovenian Rade Obrenovic," stressing that the committee sought to select the most prepared referee given the commitments of European referees.
Essam Abdel Fattah revealed that the officiating team for the big match will receive between $18,000 and $20,000, while also noting that there are several Egyptian referees qualified to manage matches involving Al Ahly and Zamalek, and that the referees committee continuously instills confidence in Egyptian referees.
