Former Premier League footballer Ramadan Sobhi has been handed a one-year prison sentence after an Egyptian court found him guilty of academic fraud.
From Premier League Promise to Legal Peril
The 28-year-old winger, once hailed as the 'Egyptian Messi', saw his career take a dramatic turn for the worse in 2025. Sobhi, who currently plays for Pyramids FC in his homeland, was convicted in a case relating to fraud during his hospitality studies. The court heard allegations that Sobhi and other defendants falsified paperwork, including exam answer sheets and attendance records, while he was a student at the Pharaonic Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotels in Giza. He was also accused of paying someone to sit exams on his behalf.
A Career Marred by Controversy
This prison sentence is the latest in a series of severe setbacks for the player. In November 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a four-year playing ban for an anti-doping violation. Sobhi had initially failed a drugs test in March 2024, before the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organisation temporarily lifted his provisional ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) successfully appealed that decision, leading to the lengthy suspension from football.
Sobhi's career began with great promise. He signed for Stoke City in 2016 in a £5 million deal from Egyptian giants Al Ahly, making 46 appearances across two seasons. Following Stoke's relegation, he moved to Huddersfield Town in 2018 before returning to Egypt later that same year. Last season, he helped Pyramids FC win the CAF Champions League for the first time.
Legal Proceedings and Club Reaction
When the fraud allegations first surfaced, Sobhi denied any knowledge, telling an Egyptian outlet he had 'never seen' the certificates in question and was still a student. The court's ruling saw a second defendant sentenced to one year with labour, a third acquitted, and a fourth, who is a fugitive, receive a 10-year sentence in absentia.
According to reports from Misr Connect, sources within Pyramids FC stated the club respects the judicial process but is awaiting an appeal from Sobhi's legal team before making further comment. This legal conviction, combined with his active doping ban, casts a long shadow over the future of the once-celebrated footballer's career.
