Ramadan Sobhi says he has not yet decided whether he will return to football after his four-year suspension was upheld by the Swiss Federal Court.
The Pyramids FC and former Egypt international forward spoke publicly for the first time since the latest development in his case, saying he is still considering his next step.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed the four-year suspension on Sobhi over the tampering of a doping sample collected during one of his team’s training sessions.
The ban, which takes into account the period Sobhi had already spent under provisional suspension, is scheduled to remain in place until 6 October 2029. He is therefore prevented from taking part in matches until that date.
Sobhi addressed his future during an appearance on MBC Egypt 2, where he was asked about the possibility of returning to the pitch once his suspension is over.
Ramadan Sobhi told MBC Egypt 2: “I haven’t thought about returning to the pitch yet, and I’m still thinking about it. There’s nothing new, and as soon as there are any developments, I’ll come out and announce them myself.”
The comments represent Sobhi’s first public response to the question of his football future since the latest stage of the case.
The 29-year-old also discussed the upcoming Egyptian Premier League meeting between Al Ahly and Zamalek, one of the country’s biggest football fixtures.
Sobhi said the derby was impossible to predict because of the nature of matches between the two clubs.
He said: “The Al-Ahly vs. Zamalek match is not subject to any calculations, and it is always a difficult encounter, so its result cannot be predicted.”
The former Egypt international also assessed the preparations of both sides ahead of the fixture, pointing to the number of league matches they had already played this season.
He added: “Each team has played 5 league matches and I think both teams have reached their best technical and physical condition, and I hope we will see a strong match between them.”
Sobhi’s comments come after the Swiss Federal Court rejected his appeal against the four-year suspension, leaving the existing ban in place.
With the suspension extending until October 2029, Sobhi has yet to decide what his future in football will look like. For now, he says he is still considering his options and will announce any developments himself.
