The angered outrage comes after Saturday’s match against Al-Gharafa at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.

Qatar’s Al Rayyan fans have declared a boycott from attending matches to protest a string of refereeing decisions in the Expo Stars League.

Announcing the decision on their social media channel, the Al Rayyan fan base said the choice was solidified after the team’s last two games.  

“It is honourable to see the positive development we are witnessing today in the sports arena in the State of Qatar, especially after seven professionals joined all the Expo Stars League clubs this year,” the club stated on their X account.  

“It is no secret to you that there was a great turnout from the public attendance this season from all the league clubs. Despite the above, we regret to draw your attention to what has happened recently to some sports clubs,” the group added. 

The fanbase highlighted that the selection of referees in the league has been inadequate for the club and confirmed plans to boycott the upcoming match between Al Rayyan and Al Duhail. 

“From this standpoint, the fans of Al Rayyan Sports Club announce their solidarity and full support for the club’s management, which is working around the clock to serve this entity,” the statement added.

“The club’s fans also announce a boycott of attendance for the upcoming match between Al Rayyan and Al Duhail, in objection to the recent arbitration decisions, and to the selection of referees who are not fit to be present in the Expo Stars League as they lack solid and sufficient experience in leading major matches,” the fanbase further stated. 

“We draw your attention to the fact that we hope that the Qatari clubs will be given equality by the Referees Committee, similar to the Gulf leagues, as the club will bear the financial costs if it wishes to host or have a foreign referee in its matches,” fans of Al Rayyan Sports Club stated. 

The statement on Monday failed to detail which particular refereeing incidents caused outrage among fans, however, it was released following a match against Al-Gharafa at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.

Al-Gharafa defeated the team in a 4-3 match at Al Rayyan’s home turf, which led the team to slip to third place with 15 points, just two ahead of Al Duhail. Social media users commentating throughout the match appeared to be frustrated at two incidents involving handballs.

One showed Achraf Bencharki going for a shot at the goal before an Al-Gharafa player blocked the shot with his hand but was not awarded a penalty. However, a similar handball incident in the penalty box was not awarded.

Al Rayyan dominated the game throughout the match, but a goal from Farid Boulaya in the last few minutes placed Al-Gharafa on top. 

The Qatari team’s next match is against Al Duhail on November 2nd. 

The Al Rayyan club management has yet to publicly address the protest.