In alignment with Al Wasl Sports Club's commitment to fostering the development of Emirati football and safeguarding the reputation of officiating in all tournaments under the UAE Pro League and the UAE Football Association, which are essential elements in advancing professionalism and sports development in the country, we wish to express our discontent with certain refereeing decisions during the final match of the Emaar Super Cup between Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli. The match, held at Al Maktoum Stadium, failed to meet expectations and raised concerns among fans and observers.

The key officiating decisions we protest, which had a significant impact on the match's outcome, are as follows:

1-Disallowing a goal for Al Wasl:
In the 18th minute, a goal for Al Wasl was disallowed on the grounds of a foul, as judged by the VAR and the on-field referee. However, the alleged foul was unclear and did not align with the actual circumstances of the play.
2-Ignoring a penalty for Al Wasl:
In the 45+1st minute of the first half, a handball by a player from the opposing team was overlooked, and a penalty was not awarded. This incident warranted immediate intervention by VAR to review the situation.
3-Unjustified quick resumption of play:
In both of the above incidents, the referee hastily resumed play, preventing VAR officials from thoroughly reviewing the incidents. This led to significant refereeing errors that adversely affected the outcome of the match, depriving Al Wasl of a championship it rightfully deserved in terms of performance and results.
4-A questionable second goal by Shabab Al Ahli:
In the 53rd minute, Shabab Al Ahli’s second goal involved an apparent push by the scorer against Al Wasl player Siaka, which went unnoticed by the referee.
5-Overlooking cases of excessive violence:
Several instances of extreme physical aggression by Shabab Al Ahli players were ignored, which required the referee's immediate intervention to impose necessary sanctions.
In this context, a logical question arises about the efficacy of VAR and the substantial investments made in it if officiating errors persist and decisions are seemingly influenced by subjective judgments. Many of these clear incidents were highlighted by refereeing experts on various sports channels.

These refereeing mistakes had a direct impact on the match's result and deprived Al Wasl of a championship due to inaccurate decisions, raising serious doubts about the performance of both the on-field referees and VAR officials.

Based on the above, we explicitly protest against the officiating in this match. We call upon the esteemed UAE Football Association, the Pro League Committee, and the Referees Committee to take the necessary measures, including reviewing the audio recordings of conversations between VAR officials and the on-field referee, to ensure transparency and fairness. It is imperative to uphold the rights of all clubs and ensure the integrity of local competitions.