Samir Zaher said on Thursday that the decision of Egypt's prosecutor-general to refer 75 people – including nine police offers, three grounds keepers and dozens of supporters – to criminal court following Port Said's stadium disaster is in effect rehabilitating former board members of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).

"The decision by the prosecutor-general's office revealed that we are not involved in the incident, that’s why I am so satisfied. The truth is now known," the former EFA president said to a TV programme on Thursday.

"This decision effectively rehabilitates the former EFA board," he added.

Zaher and his board had been forced to resign in the wake of the Port Said Stadium disaster which left more than 75 killed and hundreds injured.

Zaher, who led the Egypt's FA over the past seven years, stressed that Masry’s sanctions would be a political gesture.

"Concerning Masry’s sanctions, several considerations will be discussed before any decision is made, because the situation deserves a political decision, which is beyond the FA's authority," Zaher concluded.

Egypt's FA had confirmed that their decision concerning Masry’s fate will be announced when the prosecutor-general's office finished its investigations into the incident.

Several voices demanded Masry be relegated to the second division as a putative sanction following the Port Said disaster. Port Said locals completely refused such a decision, threatening to take harsh measures if such a sanction was enforced.

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