SOCCER: Egypt's Sobhi sentenced to a year in prison in academic fraud case - reports

Egypt international Ramadan Sobhi, who helped Pyramids FC win their first CAF Champions League title last season and previously played in the English Premier League, has been sentenced to one year in prison in connection with an academic fraud case, local media reported on Tuesday.

Sobhi was arrested in July upon returning from Turkey, where Pyramids had completed a pre-season camp, following allegations that he falsified official documents and had another individual sit for exams on his behalf at a private tourism and hospitality institute in Giza Governorate, Central Egypt.

The Giza Criminal Court sentenced 28-year-old Sobhi and a second defendant to one year in prison with labor, acquitted a third defendant, and handed a 10-year sentence in absentia to a fourth, who is a fugitive.

Sobhi’s lawyer could not be reached immediately for comment.

In addition to the prison sentence, Sobhi faces a four-year suspension after the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed violations of anti-doping regulations in November.

Sobhi, who has earned 37 caps for Egypt, began his professional career at Al-Ahly before moving to England in 2016, where he played for Stoke City and Huddersfield Town.

He joined Pyramids in 2020 from Huddersfield Town, following a loan spell at Al-Ahly, and played a crucial role in helping the club secure its first CAF Champions League title after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.

-Reporting by Ahmed Abd Ellatif in Cairo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman/Reuters