An allegation of religious discrimination during youth football trials at Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club has prompted official action, with Egyptian authorities launching an investigation after a young player was reportedly excluded because of his Christian identity. The case emerged after the mother, Mervat Younan, claimed that a coach rejected her son during the club’s youth trials because his name revealed his Christian faith, rather than assessing him on his footballing ability. In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the complaint. According to the ministry, the committee concluded that the coach had committed a violation and that the child’s exclusion was unrelated to his sporting performance. The ministry subsequently instructed Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club to investigate the coach and impose an appropriate disciplinary penalty within 48 hours. The case was also referred to the Public Prosecution to determine whether any criminal offences had been committed. Commenting on the case, Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) welcomed the government’s swift response, describing it as a positive step toward enforcing accountability and combating discrimination. The council stressed that discrimination on the basis of religion or belief…
