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UAE Football Association to take legal action against Al Ain club over referee criticism
The Football Association also clarified that Al Ain Club and other clubs may request foreign referees for their matches
- PUBLISHED: Sun 17 Aug 2025, 11:25 PM UPDATED: Mon 18 Aug 2025, 12:00 AM
UAE Football Association (UAEFA) issued a strongly worded statement on Sunday, rejecting any questioning of the integrity and competence of Emirati referees.
This comes after Al Ain Club commented on its match against Al Batayih Sports Club, by referring to "numerous controversial refereeing incidents".
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Saturday's match ended in a 2-1 victory for Al Ain.
"The Club firmly rejects the continued occurrence of mistakes that could negatively affect the team's results in our domestic competitions," Al Ain added while reiterating its support of the refereeing system in the UAE.
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In response, UAEFA expressed its strong disapproval of Al Ain Club's official platforms criticising refereeing decisions and urged the club to adhere to sportsmanship and respect for others' work.
It added in a statement that it will initiate legal action against Al Ain Club and anyone else who inappropriately questions the work or performance of its members.
"It is noteworthy that over the past two seasons, administrative errors committed by the club and its affiliates during dealings with the Association have increased. The Football Association has handled these matters with full professionalism and through its official channels, and it hopes the club will further improve the performance of its members and avoid getting involved in issues that do not concern it," it added.
The Association emphasised that it is solely responsible for developing the refereeing system, a task undertaken by committees and working groups comprising highly qualified experts who operate according to clear principles and standards.
It clarified that Al Ain Club and other clubs may request foreign referees for their matches, in accordance with the approved mechanism, should they be dissatisfied with the performance of local referees.
