File Photo: Morteza Mansour and Ferreira
Zamalek club chairman Mortada Mansour has called on the team's former stars Mohamed Salah and Tarek Mostafa to take responsibility for coaching the team ahead of the new season, in a step to freeze the power of current coach Jesualdo Ferreira.
After losing the Egypt Super Cup title to foes Ahly on Thursday, the Zamalek president labelled the Portuguese coach “a loser”, and promised to force him to leave the club.
Mansour did not fire Ferreira, who has a three months' salary pay-out clause in his contract, but rather appointed new technical staff who he said would be responsible for the team's lineups.
"I will appoint Mohamed Salah and Tarek Mostafa as Zamalek coaches to choose the starting lineups and to be responsible for the substitutes during games," the Zamalek chairman told a local television programme after the 3-2 loss to Ahly in the Egypt Super Cup on Thursday.
"This manager (Ferreira) has caused Zamalek to lose two titles in two weeks, so I have called on the Zamalek duo to take over his powers, and if he doesn't agree he can leave," he added.
Mohamed Salah revealed that he will hold a meeting with Mansour on Saturday to find out about his new tasks with the Whites.
It's not Salah's first time as a member of Zamalek's technical staff; he was the team's assistant coach in 2014, then became the team's caretaker following the sudden departure of Portuguese coach Jaime Pacheco, who unilaterally terminated his contract after falling out with Mansour following a 2-0 Egyptian Premier League loss to ENPPI in December.
"I admire Zamalek and I am ready to help the team at any time," Salah said.
"I will meet the Zamalek chairman on Saturday and I expect Ferreira will attend the meeting," the former Zamalek defender added.
Salah, who was named the best right defender at the African Cup of Nations 1980, said that Mansour is responsible for the team and all the technical staff have to meet his demands for Zamalek's future.
Tarek Mostafa, who was named to assist Salah in leading Zamalek lineups' choices, denied any communication from the club's chairman but said he would be ready for any post as a member of the first team's technical staff.
It would be the first time for Mostafa, 44, to join Zamalek's technical staff; his last managerial task was with Moroccan side Difaa El-Jadidi.
Mostafa is a former Zamalek midfielder who gained many trophies with the Whites when he was part of the team from 1995 to1999.
Ferreira's pay-out clause causes headache
Mansour has made it clear that he won't pay the pay-out clause in Ferreira's contract with the team, so if the Portuguese coach wants to leave, the door is open.
Zamalek extended the contract of Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira in August for one year at a monthly salary of $50,000, with a pay-out clause of three months' salary.
After the Whites lost two titles, quitting the CAF Confederation Cup and losing the Egypt Super Cup, the Zamalek chairman opened fire on the tactician, accusing him of being responsible for the loss due to his wrong choices in starting lineups.
"I am totally disappointed with the coach, who has failed to manage the game," Mansour said after the Super Cup game.
"He is wasting all our efforts. I told him several times to adjust the lineup but he hasn't. I will appoint an assistant coach with full responsibilities and if he doesn't like it he can leave," he added.
"I won't pay any pay-out clauses; if he wants to leave, he can go," Mansour said.
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