The management of Espérance Sportive de Tunis published a statement expressing its astonishment at the direct mention of its club’s name in the communiqué from Club Africain, deeming that the sports discourse has reached an unprecedented level of degradation.
The Espérance leadership accuses Club Africain of adopting a discourse containing references to issues related to public safety, as well as remarks inciting controversy and accusations it deems unfounded. It also questions the legitimacy of the Bab Jedid club to invoke the values of justice, fairness, and integrity, alluding to what it presents as suspicions surrounding some of its results over the past three decades.
In its communiqué, Espérance also revisits the controversy related to certain refereeing decisions of last season, notably the use of video assistant refereeing (VAR). It cites expressions “Confirmed ya Faraj” and “Yeddih wraah ya Faraj”, while raising questions about supposed financial and administrative interventions in favor of Club Africain during a previous season.
In the same context, the communiqué mentions what the club regards as interventions by state officials in favor of a particular team. The Espérance leadership also criticizes media campaigns that accused Espérance of benefiting from the support of certain media outlets.
The management of the Bab Souika club says it has supported for years what it calls campaigns of lies and misinformation. It assures that it will no longer hesitate to defend the club’s rights as well as the dignity of its supporters.
The communiqué also addresses the issue of the schedule of matches. The Espérance leadership believes that Club Africain’s statement could foreshadow what would be considered in the coming days, particularly regarding the programming of matches. It, however, states that it is ready to face calendar pressure, recalling that the club is accustomed to the demands of continental competitions.
In conclusion, the Espérance leadership reaffirms its commitment to freedom of expression and the right to opinion, while warning that it reserves the right to pursue legal action against any person who would deliberately spread false accusations or rumors likely to harm the club’s reputation.
