The Egyptian Premier League’s cooling break has been reinstated after sponsors and the company holding the competition’s broadcasting rights raised concerns about the financial impact of its sudden cancellation.
The decision reversed an earlier instruction from Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the referees committee, which had led to the break being removed from matches at the start of the seventh round.
The change caused confusion among clubs and officials, particularly because the cooling break is also used to accommodate advertising during live broadcasts. Its removal therefore raised concerns about the commercial arrangements surrounding the league.
The issue was resolved during the round, with referees instructed to resume the breaks after the Egyptian Football Association received calls from the league’s sponsor and the company responsible for broadcasting the matches.
According to sources who spoke to Winwin, the two parties warned federation officials about the potential marketing losses associated with ending the practice.
The federation subsequently communicated the revised instructions to Abdel Fattah, who moved to restore the cooling break for the remaining matches.
Referees receive fresh instructions by phone
The return of the cooling break was not implemented consistently at the beginning of the seventh round, with officials receiving the revised instructions at different stages of the match schedule.
Sources told Winwin that referees overseeing the Zamalek and Petrojet Assiut match were instructed to resume the practice during the second half, despite there having been no cooling break in the first half.
The referees had reportedly received telephone calls from the administrative official of the referees committee, informing them that the earlier instructions had changed and that the break should be applied again.
A similar situation occurred in the two matches that began at 17:00. The cooling break was absent during the first halves of both games but returned after the officials received the new directive.
Meanwhile, referees appointed to matches scheduled for 20:00 were informed of the revised arrangements before kick-off. They were instructed to apply the cooling break during both halves of their respective matches.
The different instructions issued during the same round raised questions about how the decision had been communicated and implemented across the competition.
No official circular issued to referees
Despite the return of the cooling break, sources indicated that the referees committee had not issued an official circular through its WhatsApp group to formally notify all Premier League referees of the change.
Instead, the new instructions were communicated directly to referees by telephone before their matches.
The sources added that the same procedure was expected to be followed for the remaining fixtures scheduled to bring the seventh round to a close.
The absence of a formal announcement meant that the reversal was communicated through individual calls rather than a single official notice to all match officials.
The development followed the initial decision to cancel the breaks in the opening matches of the round, which had surprised club officials because of the commercial arrangements linked to their use.
Commercial concerns behind the reversal
The concerns raised by the league’s sponsor and broadcasting rights holder proved decisive in the return of the cooling break.
According to the sources, both companies contacted federation officials and highlighted the marketing losses that could follow if the practice were discontinued.
The breaks provide an opportunity for advertisements to be shown on the broadcaster’s screen during each half of a match. Their cancellation therefore threatened an established part of the competition’s commercial arrangements.
Following the discussions, the federation responded to the companies’ concerns and informed Abdel Fattah of the revised position.
The referees committee chief subsequently instructed match officials to resume applying the cooling break, bringing an end to the immediate dispute.
The episode highlighted the connection between matchday decisions and the commercial interests attached to broadcasting the Egyptian Premier League, while the differing instructions during the seventh round left questions over the process used to communicate the change.
