Essam Abdel Fattah: The cost of the foreign crew to manage the top match is $16,000.
Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the referees committee, stated that the criticisms directed at Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic in recent times came from individuals lacking a deep understanding of the fundamentals of officiating, noting that some are only seeking to issue criticism without any technical basis.
Essam Abdel Fattah explained in an interview with media personality Sihem Saleh on the program "El Clasico," broadcast on ON E, that Slovenia is currently considered one of the advanced countries in the field of refereeing, pointing out that there are Slovenian referees who have officiated at previous World Cup finals.
Behind the Scenes of Choosing the Foreign Referee Crew for the Big Match
Essam Abdel Fattah revealed details about the selection of the foreign referee crew to officiate the big match between Al Ahly and Zamalek in the Egyptian league, explaining that several European countries declined to send top-tier referees for the match. He stated, "Germany, Italy, and England declined to send elite referees, while Spain and Portugal agreed to send a referee crew, but the chosen referee is not from the elite referees."
He added that the average number of yellow cards issued by the referee is about four warnings per match, which is a normal rate and not considered exceptional from a refereeing perspective.
Essam Abdel Fattah Reveals Costs of Hiring Foreign Referees
Essam Abdel Fattah pointed out the financial costs associated with bringing in the Slovenian crew to officiate the Zamalek vs. Al Ahly match in the league's summit, explaining that the main referee receives an amount close to $6,000 for the match, and the total fee for the entire referee crew amounts to about $16,000, in addition to travel expenses, accommodation, and costs related to the crew's presence in Egypt.
The head of the refereeing committee concluded his remarks by stating that hiring foreign referees requires bearing additional costs, including the entitlements of crew members and travel expenses, according to the agreements governing the recruitment of referees for local matches.
Rade Obrenovic to Officiate Al Ahly vs. Zamalek Match in the League
The Egyptian Football Association announced the names of the officials who will manage the match between the two giants of Egyptian football, with the lineup as follows:
Center referee: Rade Obrenovic
Assistants: Yuri Brabrotnik, Griga Kordez
Fourth official: David Shmayts
Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Mati Yuj
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: David Gabrovic
The big match between Zamalek and Al Ahly will take place next Sunday, October 11, 2026, with the kickoff scheduled for 8:00 PM, and this major encounter will be hosted at Cairo International Stadium.
