Football Association Clarifies Club Licensing Committee Operations

The Egyptian Football Association has officially stated that the Club Licensing Committee operates as a completely independent body, carrying out its duties in accordance with the regulations of FIFA and CAF, without any external interference in its decisions.

The Football Association stated in an official statement: "The Club Licensing Committee operates as an independent body, in accordance with the regulations of the Egyptian Football Association and the club licensing regulations approved by FIFA and CAF, ensuring complete neutrality, transparency, and independence in all its activities and decisions."

The committee stated: "We have reviewed all local club licensing requests, along with the clubs nominated to participate in the African Football Confederation competitions, by applying all the criteria stipulated in the licensing regulations without exception, foremost among them the financial criterion."

The committee stated: "In this context, we are committed to reviewing the financial accounts related to football activities, whether within the club or through the football company for clubs that have established companies to manage their activities, as part of the football budgeting unit in accordance with FIFA's financial regulations and licensing rules. The review included all revenues and expenses associated with football activities, whether funded from primary sources or from club-related sources, with the aim of ensuring the true financial position of football activities is reflected and full compliance with the established financial standards."

The committee stated: "We confirm that we only deal with final and enforceable rulings and decisions in accordance with the approved regulations and standards, and we do not consider any disputes or procedures that have not acquired finality."

He added: "All clubs are submitting the documents and supporting papers for their licensing requests via the electronic platform for club licenses under the Confederation of African Football (CAF). These documents are subject to thorough examination and review by the licensing committee of the Egyptian Football Association, with oversight from CAF, while providing any feedback in a neutral and transparent manner. This is in line with the principles of equality and equal opportunities among all clubs, without any discrimination."

The committee stated: "The evaluation of the criterion for overdue payments is not limited to merely verifying the existence of such payments, but extends to assessing the extent to which the licensing applicant meets the requirements of the regulations. In this regard, the committee refers to the provisions of the Confederation of African Football's club licensing regulations, which empower the relevant licensing authority to verify and ensure that the licensing applicant has taken all appropriate measures to identify, quantify, settle, and pay the dues owed to clubs, players, and other rights holders, and that they have demonstrated sufficient seriousness in fulfilling this criterion, based on the documents and legal declarations submitted, as well as what the committee deduces from the papers and facts presented to it."

The statement continued: "The committee confirms that, according to the licensing regulations, starting from next season, all clubs will be required to open a separate bank account specifically for football activities, distinct from the accounts for other club activities. This account must include all revenues and expenses related to football, along with an independent budget for the activity approved by an independent external auditor."

He added: "Clubs that have established companies to manage football activities, or that will establish them in the future, must ensure that all revenues, expenses, and budgets related to football activities are processed through that company, along with submitting the approved financial statements for football activities for the calendar year (from January to December). This is in preparation for the annual licensing procedures to commence by the end of March, in accordance with the timeline approved by both the FIFA and CAF."

The Egyptian Football Association stated: "The Club Licensing Committee has no choice but to apply the regulations and standards approved by both FIFA and CAF. All of its decisions are made in accordance with these regulations, ensuring principles of governance, transparency, fairness, and equal opportunities among all clubs, contributing to the development of Egyptian football and reinforcing its commitment to international standards."