Team players of the Egyptian Al-Ahly club run for safety during clashes at the soccer stadium in Port Said Cairo – Hossam al-Sayed Egyptian football has been gravely affected by events since the January 25 revolution and the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian Premiere League was put on hold due to the events of the revolution before making a comeback under the protection of the army, after taking power.
Al Ahly was crowned champion before the new season saw the horrific football tragedy at Port Said Stadium in early February, when 74 Al Ahly fans were killed. This incident signaled the death knell of Egyptian football, evidenced by Egypt’s inability to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament the country has won a record seven times.
Months later, Egyptian football continues to suffer as homegrown talent leaves local clubs.
Shortly after the Port Said massacre, Hosni Abd Rabbo was the first to take the transfer ticket to Al Nassr FC in Saudi.
He was followed by Mahmoud Aberlrazek who left for the Emirati Al Wasl FC, later joining Hassan Shehata on the managing staff of Al-Arabi Al-Qatari. Ahmed Hossam fled to England again, followed by Mohammed Salah to Switzerland’s FC Basel, Ahmed Hegazi to Italy’s Fiorentina, Mohammed Shawki to Iraq’s Al Naft and Sherif Ashraf to Finland’s Helsinki.
The most high-profile departure was Al Ahly’s Portuguese manager Manuel José, who left for Iran to coach Persepolis FC. Misr al-Makasa’s manager Tarek Yehia left to coach Hajer in Saudi Arabia and Asyut Petroleum’s Hussein Abdel Latif is now at the helm of al-Jabalain in Saudi.
High-flying figures currently considering the move are led by Al Ahly stars. Emad Meteab has announced a Spanish offer after his squad concluded its stint at the World Club Cup. Al Ahly right-back Ahmed Fathy has dropped a similar bombshell by asking his club to release him in return for waiving millions of pounds’ worth of unpaid wages, enabling him to acquire a foreign contract while the local competition stays on hold. That procedure went ahead when Fathy received an offer from Lokomotiv Moskva. Al Ahly star Mohammed Barakat is also open to a Gulf transfer as his contract is approaching its end.
Article 61 of President Mohammed Morsi’s draft constitution is a concern within the sporting community. State policies that neglect Egyptian sports compound the present state of ambiguity enveloping Egyptian football. By failing to satisfy the ambitions of local sportspeople, the new constitution looks set to drive more stars abroad.
The ghost of bankruptcy hovers over clubs due to players’ multi-million-pound contracts. Players themselves have been given the opportunity to break off contracts automatically due to the accumulation of unpaid wages. Egyptians clubs have had no option but to surrender to the reality of mass exodus.
Football Association officials are refusing to take a clear stance. A number of clubs have set their hopes on an official freeze of activities that would enable them to dismiss all players until a more stable situation. This could be a viable alternative to clubs’ enormous financial burden.
The ambition for Egyptian players used to be to join the world’s strongest leagues. Now we see them agreeing to play anywhere, including Israel and Arab countries, previously considered out of the question. The number of players in Gulf leagues has increased and others have started accepting offers by clubs in Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Sudan.
Egyptian football clubs [with the exception of Al Ahly] have suffered. But it is poorer clubs that have suffered most, many of whose players have been forced to abandon football altogether to find alternative employment.