United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has pardoned Zamalek players Mostafa Shalaby and Nabil Emad and the Egyptian club’s sporting director Abdel Wahed El Sayed after they were each handed one-month prison sentences for assault during a match in the UAE, the Emirates News agency (WAM) said on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court handed the prison terms as well as 200,000 dirhams ($55,000) fines after the three men were involved in a scuffle with a stadium organiser during this month’s Egyptian Super Cup semi-final at the Al Nahyan ground in Abu Dhabi.

Zamalek beat Pyramids 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Oct. 20.

“The President of the State pardons those accused in the events of a football match that brought together the Egyptian clubs Zamalek and Pyramids in Abu Dhabi, based on the fraternal relations between the Emirates and Egypt,” WAM said in a report posted on X.

The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports said earlier in its Facebook page: “The Egyptian state ends the Zamalek trio crisis within hours.”

“It is expected that the complete end of the crisis and the return of the players will be announced in the coming hours, in the context of full respect for the legal frameworks and based on the historical relations between the two sister countries, Egypt and the Emirates.”

Zamalek’s Mostafa Shalaby and Nabil Emad have been given a one-month prison sentence and fined 200,000 dirhams ($55,000) each for assault during this month’s Egyptian Super Cup semi-final in the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court said.

Zamalek sporting director Abdel Wahed El Sayed got the same punishment after the three men were involved in a scuffle with a stadium organiser at the Al Nahyan ground in Abu Dhabi. Zamalek beat Pyramids 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Oct. 20.

The court said in a statement on social media platform X on Tuesday that the three men were “… committing acts that would disturb public order and incite riots in front of the fans …”

Zamalek declined to comment.

-Reuters

As it was earlier in the year at the CAF Super Cup contested by Egyptian giants, Ahly and Zamalek, the Egyptian Super Cup contested by the same teams had to be decided by penalty shoot-out.

But unlike in the CAF Super Cup where goals were scored in regulation time and Zamalek emerged winners after a penalty shootout, the reverse is the case this time.

Ahly secured their 15th Egyptian Super Cup title on Thursday, defeating arch-rivals Zamalek 7-6 on penalties following a goalless draw in regular time in Abu Dhabi.

The Red Devils avenged their loss to Zamalek in the African Super Cup just four weeks prior, when they were beaten on penalties by their Cairo neighbours.

However, the match was played under the cloud of controversy, as three Zamalek team members were detained in Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to the game.