Al Ahly coach El-Badri: 'I didn’t extend my contract, and I have external offers'

Egypt’s Al-Ahly are currently in a stable period, apart from the failure in the CAF Champions League in the form of the 1-1 draw against Zambian side Zanaco.

In an extended interview with current head coach Hossam El-Badri, he shed light on his departure and issues concerning players and transfers.

He said: “Everything is possible in football, my contract with Al-Ahly will expire by the end of the season and hasn’t been extended till now, I’m only talking realistically, I have an offer from the United Arab Emirates and another from North Africa yet I never said that I’ll leave.”

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He added: “The board is helping us in every way in the transfer market and to keep going, and I owe the club a lot for what they did to me as a player and as a manager, there are no issues with my salary and these are just rumours.”

On the differences between Egyptian and foreign managers, he said, “Foreign coaches are definitely treated better than Egyptians here, salaries are better, in addition to the fact that they get less pressure from media here.”

“There is no manager in the world that can do what he does everywhere. Problems always come up and Al-Ahly is a trophy winning club and never thinks of anything other than winning. We enter all tournaments with the aim of winning them.”

He also had updates on striker Emad Mete'ab and Hossam Ghaly. “Mete’ab has suffered successive injuries and that has affected his physical state, and Ghaly’s inclusion as well as tactics are a matter up to the coaching staff. Retirement is his decision and only his," he revealed. 

“Coaching national sides is always easier than club sides. With clubs there is more pressure. Hector Cuper is a very good manager and managed to understand the Egyptian players as well as force his style of play. Of course I hope to coach the national team one day," he laid down his ambitions to coach The Pharaohs before concluding.