Major General Hani Abdellatif, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, praised in a statement the suggestion of football Ultras in Egypt to use private security companies to secure the matches saying it is an excellent idea and should be applied.
"We had a plan since the beginning of the season about the gradual return of audience to attend matches, but what is happening made us rethink and emphasize that the current season will continue without audience," he said.
The decision came to protect audience because he says terrorist elements have been waiting for any gathering that is secured by the police to instigate clashes and violence and use the incident in media abroad. "That was going to happen in the African Super Cup match with Sfaxien team, but the police wonderfully maintained self-restraint," Abdellatif added.
"The process of securing games is cumbersome to the Ministry of Interior, but the Ultras proposal to private security companies is good because we will be dedicated to confronting crimes," he said.
Egypt is the only country that does not have a stadium meeting the security requirements of the Public Prosecution for holding matches, so the sports bodies need to make new preparations in accordance with law, according to Abdellatif.
The minister of youth needs to meet with the Football Association, headed by Gamal Allam and clubs officials to arrange for the security process, he said. The police will continue to secure the current season without audience, he added.
Ultras groups issued a joint statement on Monday evening rejecting the presence of police at stadiums. "We reject the presence of Interior Ministry personnel in Egyptian stadiums. Enough of the neglect of the main reason behind all problems in the Egyptian stadiums: police are unable to secure games," read the statement.
"Your absence means matches would pass peacefully without problems as the scene can no more bear the presence of us together; either us or you," it added.
The statement mentioned that Ultras groups would gather on 15 March to demand the expulsion of police from stadiums.
