A relentless pursuer of his goals, Hossam Hassan seems on the right path to fulfill the vow he made when he took over at the success-starved Zamalek in November 30, 2009. Hassan's determination and hunger for football, which defined his hugely successful playing career, remain the dominant aspect of his promising managerial experience that gave Zamalek a new lease of life after several barren years. The faith Zamalek have in him is as clear as crystal after he lasted in their hot seat for more than a year, a mark that has not been reached since 2002 when German boss Otto Pfister stepped down after spending around two and a half years at the helm. "It is my second Zamalek spell, and I hope it will be similar to the first one," Hassan, a former prolific striker who played a key role in helping the White Knights win a host of titles in the early 2000s before his retirement, said last year after succeeding Swiss coach Michel Decastel. "There is a mutual trust between me and the fans. I feel that everything is in place to achieve success. I'm eager to bring trophies back to the club." For Zamalek's avid faithful, success would at least mean propelling the team to their first Egyptian Premier League triumph since 2004. That target is never easy, however, with arch rivals Ahli eager to win a seventh consecutive title especially after strengthening their squad with several big-name signings in the close season.
Hossam Hassan: fans favorite Zamalek's hopes lie on the shoulders of Hassan, who is burdened with ending Ahli's local dominance - a possibility that looked outside before the season began but became a growing one as days passed. Indomitable Spirit Hassan's playing career, which witnessed many ups and few downs, was characterized by an indomitable spirit to succeed against all the odds. He helped Egypt to the 1998 African Cup of Nations triumph in Burkina Faso, where he finished as the tournament's joint top scorer, just after many people questioned the decision of then coach Mahmoud Al-Gohari to include him in the team's squad. The Egypt's all-time leading scorer defied skeptics arguing that age took its toll on him once again when he left Ahli to move across the city and join Zamalek in a hugely controversial transfer ten years ago. Hassan, a keen admirer of Real Madrid's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, retained that spirit after becoming a coach. His rousing speeches in the training and dressing room show why he is regarded highly by his players.
Hazem Emam follows Hassan instructions "Coach Hassan instilled a winning spirit into the players," midfielder Ibrahim Salah said after Zamalek claimed a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Masri last month which sent the fans into raptures and kept the team on top of the league table. "The spirit we showed against Masri is the result of his encouragement. He always instructs us to fight until the very end." Hassan's technical abilities were also acclaimed by several Zamalek players, including trouble-prone wingback Hazem Emam whose indiscipline was not tolerated by the bald-headed boss earlier in the season. Zamalek had their fortunes turned around by Hassan's arrival, finishing second in the league last term behind champions Ahli after risking the unthinkable prospect of being relegated to the second division prior to his appointment. This season, the 44-year-old helped some key players, including wizard Shikabala, to rediscover their form and introduced several new faces who quickly gelled into the team. Zamalek are blighted by one of their worst financial problems in their history but they still managed to move to the league summit after 11 games under the guidance of Hassan. Hassan will probably earn a cult status among Zamalek fans if he steered the 11-time Egyptian champions to the league title come May 2011, the centenary year of the club.
