Video: surprise comments from Ibrahim Hassan about Salah and El Shenawy

Egypt's team manager reveals the truth about travelling to Turkey

Ibrahim Hassan, the Egypt national team's manager, has revealed the truth behind recent reports that Egypt's coaching staff wanted to travel to Turkey to watch one of the matches of national team captain Mohamed Salah with his side Trabzonspor.

Those reports framed the trip as a peace mission between the coaching staff and Salah, following the crisis that erupted when the captain was hauled off against Angola at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Salah walked away from the Egypt camp after that match. He sat out the South Sudan qualifier and missed the following friendly against South Africa too.

Speaking on ON Sport, Ibrahim Hassan denied there was anything official about a trip to Turkey.

His answer was broader than the question. The staff would not hold back from supporting any professional player, he insisted, and following players is not limited to one particular country. The national team cares about standing by all of its players.

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Hassan said of the circulating reports about travelling to watch Salah in Turkey: "This matter does not exist, I only read about it."

He added: "If the opportunity arose, not just to travel to Turkey but also to England to watch Marmoush as well, or anyone else, (we would have no objection). We care about standing by all the players."

The manager also tackled the row over head coach Hossam Hassan's comments about Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, calling for forgiveness and stressing how much the national team values what the keeper has given.

Ibrahim Hassan said: "Mohamed El Shenawy is a big name, and he made history in the service of the Egypt national team."

Hossam Hassan had called El Shenawy a "finished" player and said he had backed him through a period of poor form by picking him for the national team. Ibrahim Hassan's response: "Some people latch on to particular words in order to stir up controversy, even though the matter is simpler than that," stressing the need for forgiveness in dealing with such situations.

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journalism and writing are a passion before they are a profession. Since taking my first steps down this path in late 2010, I have been weaving my stories across the pages of Egyptian and Arab websites. I don’t view sports in general—and soccer in particular—as merely a game, but rather as a canvas of life that reflects the pulse of societies and carries within it social and cultural stories that intertwine with the threads of politics to shape people’s consciousness.

I delve into covering and analyzing soccer from multiple angles: I cover the game from multiple angles where storytelling meets analysis, and where the pitch connects to broader social and cultural narratives.

Over time and as my experience grew, my passion expanded to draw connections between the economics of the game, modern technology, and cryptocurrencies—all of which have become part of a soccer industry that extends far beyond the boundaries of the field.

My experience has spanned several prominent Arab outlets: in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, such as Goal (Saudi edition) and Koora, where I have worked as a multi-tasking desk editor since 2019."I don't just cover stories, I find them where others aren't looking, then reshape them until they're worth reading.

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My Story with Soccer

My passion for soccer began early, specifically at the age of six during the 1994 World Cup. The atmosphere at home was different; the whole family was awake to watch the matches even though they were broadcast at dawn, and that is where my true passion was born. I was captivated by Romário’s mesmerizing skills, amazed by Thomas Brulin, and impressed by the physical and technical prowess of the Nigerian national team led by the late Rashidi Yakini, while the image of Roberto Baggio missing his penalty kick in the final remains etched in my memory as the first dramatic moment I experienced with the game.

As the years passed and my fascination with international soccer grew, certain matches remained defining moments in my football education, such as the 2001 UEFA Cup final between Liverpool and Spain’s Alavés—that wild 5-4 clash whose intensity didn’t subside until the 117th minute, when an own goal sealed the title for the Reds, cementing it in my memory as an unforgettable match.

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Unforgettable moments include Real Madrid’s 2002 Champions League victory, Liverpool’s historic 2005 final, and Egypt’s 2006, 2008, and 2010 African Cup of Nations triumphs under Hassan Shehata.

My All-Time Team

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Cafu - Paolo Maldini - Ramos - Roberto Carlos

Zinedine Zidane - Iniesta

Diego Maradona

Lionel Messi - Ronaldo “The Phenomenon” - Cristiano Ronaldo

My Favorite Articles:

The Ronaldo Mystery... Death in a Foreign Land!

Third dimension.. Barefoot... Has Messi Really Settled

The Debate Over the Greatest of All Time?

(2) Messi Chases Pelé... Has the Debate Over the Greatest of All Time Really Been Settled?

Third dimension: The Terrifying Test... Salah Inherits the Crown of the Seven Years