Ahli are on the lookout for a new foreign manager to succeed Egyptian Hossam Al-Badri, who could not live up to the huge expectations of the team's faithful. The Cairo giants believe they would be better managed by an overseas tactician after enjoying glorious reigns under the guidance of the likes of Hungarian Nandor Hidegkuti and Portuguese Manuel Jose. FilGoal.com compiles a list of Ahli's most successful foreign managers of all time. 1- Manuel Jose (Portugal): Jose was an unknown coach for Ahli's ever-demanding supporters when he arrived in Cairo in 2001 but he enjoyed a successful debut season, rebuilding a faltering side and injecting new blood. Ahli won the lucrative African Champions League title in the same year after a 14-year absence and narrowly missed out on the league triumph after running neck and neck with bitter rivals and eventual winners Ismaili in a thrilling chase. Jose surprisingly left Ahli afterwards but the club brought him back in late 2003 to rescue them after a poor run in all fronts, having failed to win their favorite league title following his departure. He was the architect of a hugely-successful five-year spell that saw Ahli win the Champions League three times, the Egyptian league five times, the Egyptian Cup twice among other minor titles. Jose, who was known for his fiery temper, also led Ahli to a memorable third-place finish in the 2006 Club World Cup. He left the club in the summer of 2009 to take over at the Angolan national team after earning a cult status among the Red Devils' faithful, who regard him as the best manager in the team's 103-year history. 2- Nandor Hidegkuti (Hungary): Hidegkuti, a member of Hungary's Golden Team in the 1950s, also carved out a successful coaching career that ended at the helm of Africa's most successful club Ahli. He was appointed as Ahli's boss in 1974 and was burdened with the task of putting an end to a league drought stretching back to 1962. He was widely acclaimed for relying on some youngsters and creating what was later called 'the schoolboys team', deploying a 4-2-4 formation in the process. His squad included the likes of Mahmoud Al-Khatib, Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi 'Zizo, Mostafa Abdou and Ekrami - all of whom turned out to be club icons. They overcame their rivals far too easily to dominate domestic football for around five years, clinching the league title for five consecutive times and winning the Egyptian Cup once. Hidegkuti's reign included a memorable Cup final victory over Zamalek in 1978. Zamalek were leading 2-1 with 15 minutes remaining but the introduction of Al-Khatib, Ahli's current vice-president, and Taher Al-Sheikh helped them overturn the result. The duo were not fully fit but scored one goal apiece to give Ahli a 4-2 win over Zamalek. Hidegkuti, who died in 2002 aged 79, left Ahli in 1980 after basking in a great success. Ahli 4-2 (Egyptian Cup final, 1978) 3- Dietrich Weise (German): Weise was not as successful as Jose and Hidegkuti in terms of titles won, given that his tenure lasted for just one year (1988-1989). However, the German deserves to be named among Ahli's best managers after introducing the 3-5-2 formation which was revolutionary in the Egyptian league. The presence of a sweeper behind two central defenders greatly benefited Ahli who won the league in Weise's sole season in charge. He left the club after the 89-90 league was cancelled to give Egypt sufficient time to prepare for the World Cup finals in Italy, saying that he would not accept earning a monthly salary without work. He became an adviser to Ahli following his departure and was warmly welcomed when he visited the club's headquarters last year.
