Egypt s Minister of Sports and Youth Ashraf Sobhi announced Thursday that football teams will resume training sessions mid-June within preparations for the restart of the domestic league, confirming that the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is following the lead of Germany s Bundesliga.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly gave the green light for sports centres and clubs to reopen 15 June, signalling a possible return of the domestic Premier League, which has been suspended since mid-March with only half the games played in this season.
“Teams will resume trainings in mid-June following the government s decision, and we are discussing with EFA all plans for the resumption of the activities," Sobhi told Filgoal sports website.
EFA has said repeatedly that a final decision on whether it can restart the Premier League rests with the government, which is treading cautiously to avoid a spike of coronavirus cases.
Several clubs, including defending champions and current leaders Ahly, said they hope the league will resume so that they can collect monies from television and sponsorship rights.
However, others voiced safety concerns, including Ahly s Cairo rivals Zamalek, who have few hopes of catching their perennial foes.
"EFA has to reach an agreement with the teams about the process of restarting the domestic league," Sobhi said. "We are following the Germany Bundesliga restart, to make use of its positives and to avoid any mistakes," he added.
The Bundesliga attracted over six million viewers in Germany Saturday after a two-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
