Egyptian Football Association denies seeking extra season for 22 clubs to resolve licensing issues

The Egyptian Football Association has denied reports that it asked the Ministry of Youth and Sports to give 22 clubs an additional full season to complete their legal and administrative requirements before the start of the new season.

A responsible source within the association said the claims were “completely untrue”, stressing that no official correspondence had been sent to the ministry requesting an extension on behalf of the clubs.

The reports had suggested that the Egyptian Football Association was seeking a one-season grace period for 22 clubs to regularise their positions. However, the source said the association had made no such collective request and had not submitted any formal letter containing that proposal.

According to the source, the actual situation was different. One club that continues to face difficulties obtaining its legal licence had itself applied for additional time to complete the necessary procedures. The request therefore came from the club concerned, rather than from the Egyptian Football Association.

The source said this distinction was important because the association was continuing to apply the regulations governing clubs without exception. It had not asked the Ministry of Youth and Sports to grant a general extension to a group of clubs, nor had it sought special treatment for any particular number of teams.

The association also said that the claims circulating about the matter were not supported by official documents or correspondence issued by it. The reports therefore did not reflect any formal position communicated by the governing body to the ministry.

With preparations under way for the new season, the source urged those reporting on club licensing issues to check information carefully before publishing or sharing it. The source also called for official channels to be consulted, particularly when claims relate to the legal status of clubs and their ability to meet the relevant requirements.

The Egyptian Football Association’s clarification is aimed at ending the dispute over whether a collective extension had been requested. Its position, as outlined by the responsible source, is that the existing regulations remain applicable to all clubs and that no association-backed request has been made to delay compliance for a full season.

The only request referred to by the source concerns an individual club still working to obtain its legal licence. That club is seeking time to complete its procedures, while the Egyptian Football Association maintains that it has not submitted a wider application covering 22 clubs or any other group of teams.