CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian Premier League club Al-Masry lashed out at the television programme “Al-Laaeb”, broadcast on MBC Masr, after an apparent prank phone call in which their Tunisian player Elyes Jlassi was lured into discussing contract talks and criticising a rival team.
Jlassi asked the programme presenter if the call was live, and the presenter assured him it was not. The 29-year-old then talked about negotiations with the assistant coach at rivals Zamalek after a friendly match, despite the fact that he has two more years left on his contract with Al-Masry.
Jlassi went on to criticise Zamalek players because of the team’s poor results and being close to losing the league title they have won in the last two seasons.
“The board of directors of Al-Masry club express their strong dissatisfaction with the unprofessional media performance that violates all media codes of honor during the last episode of the ‘Al-Laaeb’ program presented on MBC Masr,” Al-Masry said in a statement.
“The presenter deceived Elyes Jlassi by making him believe that the phone call wasn’t on live TV and that it was a personal call. The player was lured into comments that angered Al-Masry fans and embarrassed him and our technical and administrative staff.”
“The board of directors of Al-Masry reserve their right to take all legal measures,” the club added.
Jlassi joined Al-Masry from Tunisia’s Union Sportive Monastirienne in 2021.
(Reporting by Osama Khairy, Writing by Shady Amir, Editing by Hugh Lawson)
