The Egyptian Premier League is expected to continue allowing clubs to request foreign referees for league matches during the 2026-27 season, with no immediate plans to amend the existing regulations ahead of the new campaign.
The new domestic football season is scheduled to begin on 21 August, while the Egyptian League Association has already confirmed that the league draw for the 20 participating clubs will take place next Wednesday.
As preparations intensify for the opening round, attention has turned to whether recent changes within Egyptian football’s refereeing structure would lead to revisions in the rules governing the appointment of foreign match officials.
According to a source, however, the current regulations are expected to remain unchanged.
The source said the Egyptian League Association does not intend to amend the rule that allows clubs to request foreign referees for specific league fixtures, provided that applications are submitted at least 10 days before the scheduled match.
The issue has attracted renewed interest following changes to the leadership of the referees committee.
Former committee chairman Oscar Ruiz has left his position and has been replaced by Essam Abdel Fattah, prompting speculation that the appointment of foreign referees could be reviewed before the season begins.
However, the source said there has so far been no formal discussion between the new referees committee and the League Association regarding the matter.
According to the information provided, Abdel Fattah has not yet contacted League Association officials since assuming his new role, and no meetings have been held to discuss whether clubs will continue to have the option of requesting overseas referees.
Instead, the immediate priority for the new committee chairman is completing the formation of the referees committee.
Once the new structure has been finalised and approved by the Egyptian Football Association’s board of directors, Abdel Fattah is expected to meet League Association officials to coordinate several shared issues.
Among the topics that could eventually be discussed is the continued use of foreign referees in domestic league matches.
Despite that possibility, the expectation remains that the relevant article within the competition regulations will stay unchanged.
The source suggested there is little reason to revise the existing system because the previous league season passed without major disputes related to the appointment of foreign referees.
Clubs that requested overseas officials for particular fixtures reportedly had those requests fulfilled, reducing pressure for any immediate regulatory changes.
While discussions over refereeing policy continue in the background, preparations for the new season are also progressing on the field.
Physical fitness testing for referees and assistant referees has now been completed as part of the Egyptian Football Association’s preparations for the 2026-27 campaign.
The tests took place over two days at Al-Nasr Club and marked Essam Abdel Fattah’s first official appearance since taking charge of the referees committee.
On the final day of testing, 44 field referees took part, with 36 successfully meeting the required standards and eight failing the assessment.
Among assistant referees, 72 officials participated, with 52 passing and 20 failing the tests.
Across the full two-day programme, 208 referees and assistants underwent the Cooper fitness tests.
That total included 68 field referees and 140 assistant referees.
Of the field referees, 60 passed the assessments while eight did not achieve the required standard.
Among assistant referees, 108 completed the tests successfully, with 32 failing to qualify.
The assessments were conducted in accordance with fitness standards approved by FIFA and formed part of a broader programme developed jointly by the Egyptian Football Association and the main referees committee.
The initiative is designed to prepare referees physically and technically before the start of the new season, with the aim of improving the overall standard of officiating throughout the 2026-27 Egyptian Premier League campaign.
With the league draw approaching and the opening fixtures less than a month away, officials are continuing preparations both on and off the pitch, while the regulations governing foreign referees appear set to remain in place for another season.
