Zamalek Chairman Mansour May Sack Coach Hossam Hassan After Derby Loss

Zamalek chairman Mortada Mansour, who is known for his fiery remarks, hinted that coach Hossam Hassan could lose his job after his side’s Cairo derby woes were compounded following an Egyptian Super Cup loss to arch-rivals Ahly on Sunday.

The White Knights looked as though they would finally end their derby jinx but an Ahly comeback in penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw gave them another victory over their bitter foes.

Ahly wasted their first two spot-kicks but roared back in heartbreaking fashion for Zamalek’s success-starved supporters to claim a 5-4 victory.

Outspoken lawyer Mansour sacked Mido and brought in Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s all-time leading scorer, as a replacement after the club failed to win the Egyptian Premier League title for the first time since 2004, with Ahly securing an eighth consecutive title.

Under Hassan’s guidance, Zamalek crashed out of the African Champions League group stage following defeats by Vita Club and Sudan’s Hilal before losing to Ahly in the Super Cup.

“Hassan was the reason why we had lost, everything he did was wrong. All the players I had signed played well, but the coach did not make the most of that,” Mansour said in a television interview, referring to the 17 players Zamalek had landed in the close season to bolster an underachieving squad.

“Why does he insist on playing [midfielders] Ahmed Tawfik and Omar Gaber? They don’t deserve to be in the team.

“We will have an emergency board of directors meeting, and we will make a decision on Hassan’s future,” he added.

Mansour, who was elected as Zamalek chairman for a third stint last year, is known for making some rash decisions during his previous tenures in office.

He famously dismissed German coach Theo Buecker after Zamalek were held to a draw by Ittihad of Alexandria in their first league game in 2005.

Hossam Hassan, an outspoken football icon himself, is unlikely to bow to the tactical demands of Mansour. The 48-year-old is in his second spell in charge of Zamalek, having managed the team from 2009 to 2011.

Source : Ahram online