The Egyptian Football Association has brought an important part of the controversy involving international referee Mohamed Maarouf and media personality Karim Hassan Shehata to a close after reviewing the Video Assistant Referee “VAR” recordings and finding no evidence supporting the allegations concerning a conversation between Maarouf and Al Ahly team manager Wael Gomaa about player Ali Mahmoud. ⚽🔥

The incident had generated widespread debate over the past few days after Karim Hassan Shehata discussed details that he said were exchanged between the referee and Wael Gomaa during the Al Ahly-ZED match. His comments opened a broad discussion about refereeing decisions and the actual content of the conversation between the two men.

As reactions intensified, the VAR recordings became the central issue in the controversy, with repeated calls for them to be reviewed and for the matter to be settled definitively.

The latest developments have now placed the original account under direct examination.

Football Association Confirms Mohamed Maarouf’s Position

The Egyptian Football Association stated that the Refereeing Committee listened to the recordings from the Video Assistant Referee room and found no evidence confirming the reports of a conversation between Mohamed Maarouf and Wael Gomaa concerning Ali Mahmoud.

The federation explained that the exchange between the referee and Al Ahly’s team manager was related to the club’s objection to a refereeing incident and a request for a foul to be awarded, rather than the version that had circulated through the media.

As a result, Mohamed Maarouf received official backing from the Refereeing Committee after the recordings failed to show that the referee had asked for the player to be substituted in order to protect him from receiving a red card. 📢

What Happened Between Maarouf and Wael Gomaa?

According to the Refereeing Committee, the communication between Mohamed Maarouf and Wael Gomaa occurred in the context of Al Ahly objecting to a refereeing decision.

The importance of this point is that the controversy is no longer based solely on conflicting accounts. It is now connected to official recordings reviewed by the body responsible for refereeing matters.

This development effectively challenges the version that triggered the debate, at least from a refereeing perspective, because the committee confirmed that the recordings did not contain evidence supporting the allegation against Maarouf.

Mohamed Maarouf Withdraws His Complaint

In a new development, a source within the Refereeing Committee revealed that Mohamed Maarouf withdrew his complaint against Karim Hassan Shehata, moving the dispute toward a different stage and away from direct escalation by the referee.

At the same time, the Refereeing Committee and the Football Association limited their action to summoning the representatives responsible for the television channel before the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, while also taking into account the standing and reputation of Hassan Shehata when dealing with the matter.

The development reflects an apparent effort by the parties involved to contain the controversy rather than expand it, particularly after the outcome of the VAR review became known.

Why Were the VAR Recordings Not Broadcast?

One of the most significant developments was the Football Association’s decision to reject broadcasting the recording of the conversation between Mohamed Maarouf and Wael Gomaa.

According to the details circulating, the federation based the decision on the governing regulations, under which clubs may request the release or broadcast of such recordings through specific procedures.

Therefore, although the recording was reviewed internally by the Refereeing Committee, it was not made available to the public through media channels. This helps explain why some debate has continued despite the official announcement. 🎥

Al Ahly Withdraws From Filing a Complaint

The developments did not stop with Mohamed Maarouf’s position. The same source revealed that Al Ahly also decided not to submit an official complaint against Karim Hassan Shehata over his comments concerning the incident.

The decision represents another important change in the direction of the controversy, particularly because continuing complaints could have pushed the matter into a more complicated stage.

The parties now appear to prefer relying on the Refereeing Committee’s review and handling any remaining issues through the appropriate regulatory and media channels.

Supreme Council for Media Regulation Enters the Case

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation had summoned the representative responsible for one of the television channels on which Karim Hassan Shehata’s program appears, following the statements made about the incident.

The move comes as part of an examination of whether the broadcast complied with professional media codes, particularly because the issue is no longer limited to refereeing but also concerns professional responsibility when information capable of triggering major controversy is presented.

A Controversy That Began With Statements and Ended With Recordings

The latest developments demonstrate the importance of official recordings in resolving incidents occurring inside football stadiums, particularly when they involve conversations between referees and club officials.

While Karim Hassan Shehata continued to stand by his account and repeatedly called for the complete recordings to be heard, the Refereeing Committee’s review confirmed that the alleged content was not established according to the Football Association’s statement.

With Mohamed Maarouf withdrawing his complaint and Al Ahly deciding not to file an official complaint, the dispute appears to be gradually moving toward closure, while the media-related aspect remains before the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.

✨ The Mohamed Maarouf and Karim Hassan Shehata controversy has entered a new stage after the Refereeing Committee settled its position on the recordings, while the parties appear to be moving toward de-escalation and leaving the media aspect to the relevant authorities.

📢 Do you think the decision not to broadcast the VAR recordings was correct? Has the Mohamed Maarouf-Karim Hassan Shehata controversy really ended, or is the case still open? Share your opinion. ⚽🔥