Ahmed Hossam Mido was banned from media appearances for two months due to his comments about magic
Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation issued an official decision on Thursday banning former Egyptian football star and sports commentator Ahmed Hossam (Mido) from appearing on any visual or audio media outlet, or on social media platforms subject to the law, for a period of two months. This firm decision comes in the wake of widespread controversy sparked by Mido's recent statements, in which he questioned the integrity of the Egyptian national team's historic achievements.
Details of statements about magic and red mercury
The crisis stems from statements made by the former Tottenham and Ajax star, Mido, in which he alleged that the Egyptian national team's coaching staff, led by the legendary Hassan Shehata, resorted to rituals linked to "magic" to achieve victories. Mido explicitly stated that his exclusion from the Pharaohs' squad for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations was not due to his performance on the field, but rather based on instructions from a "sheikh," as he described him.
Mido did not stop there, but made a shocking claim that the Egyptian Football Association spent millions of pounds during that period to buy what is called “red mercury” in response to requests related to magic and sorcery, which provoked the ire of the sports public and officials in Egypt.
Tampering with the golden generation of Egyptian football
The Supreme Council for Media explained in the details of its decision that these statements contain a grave insult and an unacceptable questioning of the unprecedented achievements made by the Egyptian national team during the period from 2006 to 2010. This era is considered the “golden age” of Egyptian football, as the Pharaohs, under the leadership of “the teacher” Hassan Shehata, succeeded in winning the African Cup of Nations title three times in a row (2006, 2008, 2010), a continental achievement that no other team has ever achieved, which made questioning the reasons for these victories something that affects national sporting pride.
Legal proceedings and hearing
The council confirmed in a statement published on its official Facebook page that the decision was made in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 180 of 2018, which regulates the work of the press and media in Egypt. Prior to the decision, an investigation and hearing was held with Ahmed Hossam Mido, during which he was given the opportunity to present his explanations and defense regarding the statements attributed to him. However, his responses were insufficient to avert the penalty, leading to the decision to suspend him from the media scene for 60 days. This serves as a clear message emphasizing the necessity of adhering to professional standards and refraining from spreading misinformation lacking concrete evidence and that targets prominent figures in Egyptian sports.
