Belgian Pro League serves as model for Egyptian Premier League

This coming season, the Egyptian Premier League will follow a new structure, according to its president Ahmed Diab’s Tuesday announcement.

There has been no clear end date for the Egyptian league’s seasons since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in 2020. Several postponements further compounded the problem, having a detrimental impact on the clubs.

Diab now proposes a Belgian League model, intending to replace the current two-group structure in the Egyptian League.

“The competition will be divided into two stages. The first will be from one round and the top-ranked clubs [in the first half of the table] will qualify for the next stage to compete for the title with the same points of the first stage”, Diab explained.

“The remaining clubs [in the second half of the table] will compete in the second stage also with the same points but only to set the relegated teams and also the other rankings of the table”, he added.

Ahmed Diab on new plans for season

The new arrangement, which Diab praised, would cut two months off the usual calendar. It will begin in mid-September and end in May. Amid rumors that the current season may extend until fall, he stated that it would end in mid-August.

“All clubs are under pressure in the league, and this is the situation for big clubs that play in CAF tournaments. There is talk about the possibility of changing the league format for next season, but we won’t divide the league into two groups. We do not want to announce the idea now.”

“We may apply the idea of the Belgian Pro League, which only plays matches in one round, then the top eight teams compete for the title, and the other 10 teams compete for relegation, with each club maintaining the same number of points.

“It is certain that we will change the league format next season because there is the African Cup of Nations at the end of next season and also the Club World Cup.

Ahmed Diab in talks with Egypt FA president and coach

“[Egyptian Football Association president] Gamal Allam did not discuss with me the league’s suspension period. We held a session with [Egypt coach] Hossam Hassan and his coaching staff, and based on the agenda, we decided to suspend the league on March 12, to prioritize the interests of the national team and clubs.

“We are fully convinced of his idea and requests, and there is no dispute between the association and Hossam Hassan. However, we have not spoken to Hossam Hassan about reducing the number of clubs in the league, and the timing was not ideal to discuss this matter.

“His appointment as coach of the Egyptian national team is a very late step, as he deserves to lead the team, and changing seven coaches for the Egyptian national team since 2019 is unacceptable. There must be a clear plan from the Football Association, Hossam Hassan, and his coaching staff.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.