The case started with an anti-doping dispute in Egypt, then moved to WADA, CAS, and eventually Switzerland, where Ramadan Sobhi’s legal team challenged the ruling on formal grounds.
Ramadan Sobhi has recently had his four-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation upheld after the Swiss Federal Court rejected his appeal against a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But what happened, and why did the case reach Switzerland?
How Did the Case Begin?
The case started in 2024, when the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organization (EAD) provisionally suspended Sobhi after reporting concerns about a doping sample provided by the Pyramids FC player.
A provisional suspension is a temporary measure that prevents an athlete from competing while an anti-doping case is being investigated and decided. It is not, by itself, a final finding that the athlete committed a violation.
The Egyptian Anti-Doping Hearing Panel later considered Sobhi’s case. In July 2024, the panel cleared him, allowing him to return to football while the wider legal process remained open.
Why Did WADA Appeal?
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) disagreed with the Egyptian panel’s decision and appealed it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS.
WADA argued that Sobhi had committed an anti-doping rule violation under the applicable Egyptian anti-doping regulations. CAS then reviewed the case, including the arguments and evidence submitted by the parties.
On November 26, 2025, CAS reversed the Egyptian panel’s decision and imposed a four-year ineligibility period on Sobhi.
In practical terms, that ruling prevented him from taking part in competitive football for the duration of the sanction, subject to any credit for time already spent provisionally suspended.
Why Was the Appeal Heard in Switzerland?
After CAS suspended the ruling, Sobhi’s legal team questioned it before Switzerland’s Federal Court.
The case reached Switzerland because CAS is based in Lausanne, and the arbitration in Sobhi’s case had its legal seat there. Under Swiss law, certain CAS decisions can be challenged before the Swiss Federal Court.
However, the Swiss Federal Court does not conduct a full retrial of the doping case. It does not normally reassess every piece of sporting evidence or replace CAS’s judgment. Instead, it limits its review to specific judicial and procedural issues connected to the arbitration.
Sobhi’s lawyer, Hani Zahran, argued that the defense had not been given a sufficient opportunity to present certain evidence and supporting material during the CAS proceedings.
What Did the Swiss Federal Court Decide?
According to Cairo24, the Swiss Federal Court rejected Sobhi’s appeal.
That decision leaves the CAS ruling in place, meaning the four-year suspension remains effective. It also ends this stage of Sobhi’s legal challenge unless another legal avenue is available under the relevant rules.
The sanction includes credit for any provisional suspension Sobhi had already served, as stated in the CAS ruling.
What Happens to His Pyramids Contract?
The suspension also affects Sobhi’s relationship with Pyramids FC.
Sobhi had been under contract with Pyramids until 2028. However, according to a source cited by Youm7, his suspension has frozen the contract.
The explanation is that FIFA regulations prevent a suspended player from participating in football-related activities during his ineligibility. As a result, although Sobhi’s contract was originally due to run until 2028, its implementation has been suspended for the duration of his ban.
This means Sobhi is not simply unavailable for Pyramids’ matches. His contractual relationship with the club is also effectively frozen while the suspension remains in force.
When Can Ramadan Sobhi Return?
If the four-year suspension runs for its full remaining period, he will be 33 when he becomes eligible to return to competitive football. The exact return date depends on how the time already spent under provisional suspension is calculated, but the sanction puts a significant part of his playing career on hold.
