Espérance protests referee appointments and demands official clarifications

Espérance Sportive de Tunis has escalated its stance on refereeing appointments in the local league, having sent an official letter today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to the General Supervisor of the National Refereeing Administration. In the letter, they expressed their reservations regarding several appointments, demanding a review of the selection and evaluation criteria to ensure neutrality, transparency, and equal opportunities among clubs.

Espérance de Tunis has expressed reservations about the appointment of referee Badis Ben Salah, who is affiliated with the Monastir League, to officiate their match against CS Sfaxien. The club cited what it described as his family ties to the city of Sfax through his mother.

Club Africain has stressed that raising this issue does not imply a prior questioning of the referee's integrity, but rather aims to alert the relevant authorities to the need for caution in appointments that may raise questions or affect clubs' trust in the refereeing system, especially with the upcoming match between Espérance and US Monastir.

The Club Africain management raised concerns about the performance evaluation of Badi Ben Salah during the match against Espérance and the future of Marsa in the third round. They pointed out the criticisms regarding the distribution of yellow cards and some disciplinary decisions during the match, questioning how the performance evaluations would impact the subsequent appointments of referees.

There has been a protest regarding the appointments for the match between Club Africain and Benzart.

Espérance de Tunis has expressed concerns not only about the match against CS Sfaxien but also regarding the appointment of referee Hosni Nayli for the clash between Club Africain and Stade Tunisien. Additionally, they objected to assigning the role of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to Aymen Nasri, who was later replaced by referee Mohamed Ali Gharouia.

Espérance Tunis justified its position by the controversy surrounding the referees' performance during its match against Club Africain, which ended in a 1-0 victory, asserting that the match featured officiating decisions it described as incorrect, according to what was stated in the correspondence.

Club Africain has expressed that the continued assignment of matches to referees whose decisions have previously faced criticism raises questions about the mechanisms of oversight and evaluation, and the extent to which technical reports are relied upon when determining new appointments, especially in cases that see repeated controversy.

Five demands to enhance confidence in the refereeing system.

The management of Espérance de Tunis has outlined five main demands in its correspondence with the National Refereeing Administration, which are as follows:

Clarification of the criteria used in appointing referees, ensuring their transparent application across all clubs.

A review of the mechanisms for evaluating refereeing performance has been conducted, with a clarification of the actions taken when errors are proven.

A statement on the impact of reports and technical evaluations on subsequent appointments, ensuring accountability and equal treatment.

Take utmost caution in sensitive appointments and avoid situations that may raise suspicions of conflicts of interest while maintaining the presumption of referees' integrity.

Addressing club protests seriously and providing necessary clarifications on issues that require review.

Espérance confirmed that its demands are not aimed at obtaining special privileges or influencing refereeing decisions, but rather come in defense of its right to compete in an environment based on justice, fairness, and equal opportunities.

It was emphasized that respecting referees and the institutions overseeing football does not contradict the clubs' right to object to controversial appointments and decisions, and to demand official clarifications regarding them.

Club Africain concluded its message by urging the head of refereeing to seriously engage with the raised observations and take appropriate measures, considering that the adoption of clear standards and objective evaluation of referees' performances, as well as holding accountable those responsible for mistakes, according to the applicable laws, is essential to restore confidence in the Tunisian refereeing system.