His career as a player never being short of controversy, it was no wonder that Mido's short career as manager of his boyhood club, Zamalek, witnessed a similar fate. Although Mido will be remembered as the youngest Egyptian manager to win a trophy, in addition to leading the club to the final round of play-offs in the league, a disappointing campaign in the African Champions League meant he lasted just seven months at the club after the club president, Mortada Mansour, and his board decided to replace him with Egyptian football star Hossam Hassan. Hassan will take over as manager of Zamalek for the second time in his career after managing the club from 2009 to 2011. Many Egyptian pundits and football experts predicted future problems and clashes inside Zamalek the moment Mansour regained his position as club president. The controversial president is known for his unconditional love for the club, yet also for his endless trouble-making inside and outside the club. People predicted that Mansour and Mido would not enjoy the best of relationships, both having despotic personalities. It is reported that Mido never fancied Mansour's persistent interfering in his decisions and the way he manages the team. On the other hand, Mansour criticised Mido several times in public, which never went down well with the former Tottenham star, who responded aggressively in the media more than once. Mansour consistently slammed Mido for using Twitter and Instagram and communicating with fans through social media in general, claiming that this was preventing him from being fully focused on doing his job. Mido refused to stop using social media, stating that players and managers worldwide use it to communicate with their fans and that it had nothing to do with focusing on his job. Rumours about continued clashes between the duo abounded, as some board members also seemed unhappy with Mido's overall contribution, even though he stayed in the hunt for the first league title in 10 years. However, a dreadful African campaign was reportedly the main reason behind Mido's dismissal. One win, one draw and two defeats left the club with just four points from four games, which meant that Zamalek's hopes of reaching the semis were extremely slim, with both Mazembe and AS Vita Club ahead of them with seven points each and just two games to go. Zamalek's decision to dismiss Mido came the day after Zamalek drew 0-0 against Mazembe, which is why people believe their results in the African Champions League were the main reason for Mido leaving the club. Whether its Mido's contribution to the football team or his conflicts with the club's board that led to his sacking is a debatable point for now. Mido announced his dismissal himself, reiterating his readiness to help the club anytime in the future. “Ahmed Suliman from the board of directors has informed me of their decision to dismiss me,” he said. “I'm still the son of Zamalek SC and I am ready to serve them in any capacity.” Mido's replacement, Hossam Hassan, was himself at the centre of controversy throughout his career. The all-time Egyptian top scorer takes over as head coach of Zamalek for the second time. His first spell was from 2009 till 2011, during which he did not manage to win any trophies, but was praised for bringing the club back into the picture after many seasons that saw the club getting from bad to worse. The Egyptian legend managed to restore confidence to the players, but two trophy-less seasons meant he was shown the door in unusual circumstances that did not please Zamalek fans then. However, Hossam Hassan, who signed a one-year contract with Zamalek, expressed his delight over his return to the club after resigning from coaching the Jordanian National team, saying he is set on winning the league title next season. “I did not hesitate to accept the offer to take charge of Zamalek, especially as the current management has presented me with all the elements for success,” he said upon his presentation by the club. The Egyptian icon also insisted that his first tenure with the club was a success despite all the difficulties he faced when he took it over at that time. He went on to thank Mido for his efforts with the club. “I would like to thank former coach Mido for his efforts. Coaching in football has become the most difficult job,” said the former Zamalek, Ismaily and Maqasa manager. He also said he was delighted with the new signings and that he was more than happy with the support he was already receiving from the board, unlike his first spell with the club. The dream of reaching the semis of the African Champions League is not over, according to Hassan. “We will fight until the last minute to reach the semi-final. The team will have a different style, especially with the recent new signings that will add a lot to our performance,” concluded the Whites' new coach. On a separate note, Mortada Mansour is encountering massive problems of his own with the Ultras of the club, “The White Knights”. The White Knights attacked the club a few days ago, insulting Mansour and calling for his resignation after he blasted their attitude on several occasions recently. The situation is becoming ghastlier by the day, with Mortada saying he was ready to kill every single member of the White Knights, who were, according to him, soiling the club's reputation by insisting to forcibly attend games despite the current ban on attendance. The White Knights responded to Mansour's comments by saying they will slaughter him if they got the chance. Fans are vigilant to see if Zamalek's dire times will appease in the near future. The writer is a freelance journalist.
