The era of foreign leadership within the referees committee of the Egyptian Football Association appears to be coming to an end after officials reportedly decided not to renew the contract of Colombian official Oscar Ruiz.
The move comes as Egyptian football prepares for the conclusion of the current domestic season and begins planning for the next campaign, with major changes expected within the country’s refereeing structure.
Ruiz recently departed Cairo for the United States, where he joined FIFA’s team of instructors overseeing preparations for referees involved in the upcoming World Cup camp. His exit from Egypt came amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future role with the Egyptian Football Association.
According to sources cited by winwin, senior officials within the federation spent recent hours holding extensive discussions regarding the future of the referees committee and the leadership structure for next season.
Those deliberations reportedly ended with a decision not to extend Ruiz’s contract, which expired at the end of May.
The Colombian official had overseen the Egyptian refereeing system since March last year, becoming the third foreign expert appointed to lead the committee in recent years. His tenure followed earlier appointments involving former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg and Portuguese official Vítor Pereira.
Sources also indicated that the Football Association has ruled out appointing another foreign expert for the coming season. Instead, discussions within the federation reportedly settled on handing the role to one of Egypt’s former referees.
The expected change would mark a significant shift in policy after several years of relying on international figures to supervise domestic officiating.
Foreign appointments had originally been viewed as part of broader attempts to improve refereeing standards and increase confidence in Egyptian football officiating. However, the latest discussions suggest the federation is now leaning towards a locally led approach ahead of the new campaign.
Ruiz’s period in charge coincided with continued debate around refereeing decisions in Egyptian football, an issue that has regularly generated controversy among clubs, supporters and pundits. Despite efforts to modernise officiating and strengthen the referees committee, criticism of performances and decision-making remained a recurring feature throughout the season.
The decision not to pursue another foreign appointment may therefore signal a desire within the federation to reshape the committee using local expertise and experience.
No official announcement has yet been made regarding the identity of Ruiz’s likely successor, but reports suggest the Egyptian Football Association intends to finalise preparations before the start of the next domestic season.
The departure of Ruiz also closes another chapter in the federation’s experiment with foreign leadership of the referees committee. Beginning with Clattenburg, followed by Pereira and then Ruiz, the Egyptian FA repeatedly turned to international expertise in search of greater stability and development within officiating.
Now, with the Colombian’s contract officially concluded, attention is shifting towards a new phase that could place Egyptian referees back at the centre of managing the country’s officiating system.
