Turkish Ambassador Comments on French Referee: Egypt Has the Right to Object

Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, commented on his official Facebook page, stating that Egypt has the right to object. He emphasized that the Egyptian Football Association has the right to file an official protest against the refereeing decisions during the match, given the widespread criticism of the French referee's performance.

Calls for a review of the refereeing team's performance have intensified after the match witnessed several controversial decisions, most notably the cancellation of Mostafa Abdel Raouf "Zico's" goal after a VAR review, in addition to several fouls called against the Egyptian national team, which many considered to have significantly impacted the course of the match.

Egypt's national team coach, Hossam Hassan, also joined the chorus of those objecting to the refereeing, launching a scathing attack on the officiating crew. He asserted that the match lacked fair refereeing, that the Egyptian team was denied a clear penalty kick, and that a legitimate goal was disallowed, all of which directly affected the outcome of the game.

In televised remarks following the meeting, Hossam Hassan hinted at marketing motives behind some of the decisions, saying that there was a clear desire for Argentine star Lionel Messi to continue in the tournament. He pointed out that football is sometimes affected by factors outside the technical framework, which, according to him, gave the Argentine national team an unfair advantage.