Former Legal Advisor to Ismaily Club Files Complaint Challenging Team’s Relegation

Nihad Haggag, the former legal advisor for Ismaily SC and a member of the club’s general assembly, has made a significant announcement by filing an official complaint with FIFA contesting the legitimacy of the team’s relegation to a lower division. He holds the Ministry of Youth and Sports fully responsible for the administrative and financial decline that led to this historic relegation.

During a phone interview with journalist Yasser Fada on the “Fox” program aired on “Shams” channel, Haggag explained that the official complaint sent to FIFA is based on three main points that highlight serious legal flaws in the competition. The first point concerns government interference; he accused the Ministry of Youth and Sports of meddling in the affairs of the general assembly by freezing and halting elected administrative councils without accountability, imposing temporary committees lacking authority in violation of sports law. This has severely disrupted the club and caused significant harm.

Moreover, he cited issues related to unequal opportunities and challenged the competition system based on Article 21(d) of the Egyptian Football Association’s regulations and Article 20 of FIFA’s regulations. He pointed out that multiple clubs are under one governmental or institutional body, which undermines fair competition, sporting integrity, and equal opportunities. Additionally, he accused the Ministry of attempting to force the club to suspend its license and play under another club’s license in the Premier League, which he claims is a blatant violation of constitutional law and sports regulations.

Haggag launched a fierce critique of previous administrative decisions made by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, referencing an official statement issued by the ministry on October 20, 2025. He remarked, “At that time, the ministry announced it would suspend the council and refer it to public prosecution while promising urgent solutions including attracting investors, supporting Suez Canal Authority, establishing a football company to resolve financial crises, and imposing transfer bans. Despite being fully aware of the club’s financial situation, we found no solutions for even 1% of these problems, leading ultimately to the team’s relegation. This proves that their interference was negative and flawed.”.

He criticized how the Ministry did not apply similar rigor towards other councils’ violations, such as that of engineer Yahya El-Komy’s council which resigned in January 2023. He confirmed that he filed a personal complaint with the public prosecutor in Spring 2023 regarding misappropriation of public funds without effective action from the relevant oversight body.

In response to criticism about why he waited until after relegation to file his complaint, Haggag firmly stated: “This matter does not concern anyone else; we found this timing appropriate and legitimate after the end of the league. We are in pain and searching for any loophole or opportunity—however small—to save our club and express our anger through legal means.”.

Regarding his complaint’s acceptance chances, he acknowledged that legal processes within FIFA could take time as investigations unfold and committees are formed; however, he emphasized that this step is essential for asserting Ismaily SC’s rights.