Threatened with withdrawal

Derby boycott: turmoil surrounding Koller’s club Al-Ahly

Former Austrian soccer team manager Marcel Koller finds himself in the middle of a turmoil in Egypt. His club Al-Ahly did not take part in the Cairo derby against Zamalek on Tuesday. In the afternoon, Al-Ahly had announced that they would not play if the match was not refereed by a foreign team. However, Al-Ahly had demanded this from the league in particular. However, the league rejected this demand.

The Koller club threatened to withdraw from the league if the match was not postponed - which did not happen. The rules provide for exclusion from the league in the event of a no-show, as well as forced relegation without the possibility of immediate promotion.

First runner-up to FC Pyramids
Al-Ahly primarily criticized the chaos in the Egyptian association. The 44-time champions and twelve-time winners of the African Champions League are in second place in the current season, three points behind FC Pyramids. Al-Ahly are due to compete in the Club World Cup in the USA this summer. Zamalek, who are expecting a green table win against Koller's team, are seven points behind Al-Ahly - or just four if Tuesday's game is awarded a 3-0 result.