Egypt Bars Football Coach Hossam Hassan From All Media Outlets

Egypt’s top media regulator has barred Hossam Hassan, the technical director of the national soccer team, from appearing in any media outlet, the latest step in its response to a public dispute between Hassan and his former wife.

The council said in a statement that the ban covers all media outlets subject to the Press and Media Regulation Law, No. 180 of 2018, and took effect as soon as the decision was issued. It was one of several measures the council said were meant to protect citizens’ privacy.

The council cited what it called “violations of the rules for respecting private life.”

The council also summoned legal representatives of a number of news websites to hearings over alleged breaches of privacy rules. It warned that it would take legal action if its decision were violated or if outlets again published or circulated news about the matters covered in the statement.

The council also reaffirmed an earlier decision barring Dan Adam, Hassan’s former wife, from appearing in the media. Last month, the council ordered outlets to keep her off their platforms indefinitely and barred coverage of Hassan’s personal life. It also wrote to the Egyptian Football Association in September, asking it to take whatever action it considered appropriate regarding Hassan. Hearings for several broadcasters followed.

Hassan, 60, is preparing Egypt for a pair of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi on 13 and 17 November. He will not be on the touchline for either match. In October, FIFA suspended him for three matches after he criticized the officiating in Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the round of 16 at the World Cup. He had said his team was “cheated” out of a place in the quarterfinals.

The ban continues a pattern of tougher regulation of sports media in Egypt. A July review by the rights group Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression found that bans on appearances, broadcast suspensions and license revocations have become common since 2018, and that a ban can extend to a person’s personal social media accounts.