Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol attends a press conference in Al-Ahly club as he was unveiled as the new coach for Egyptian Premier League leaders Al-Ahly in Cairo, Egypt, March 1, 2016 (Photo: Reuters)
Ahly's Dutch manager Martin Jol said that winning the league title in Egypt means more to him than winning it in his homeland after leading his side to their 38th Egyptian League title following a 2-1 win over Ismaily on Friday.
Ahly sealed the league title with two matches to spare after Zamalek failed to secure more than a 2-2 draw with Masry, gaining an unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the table.
"Winning the title in Egypt means more to me than winning it in Holland. Pleasing 100 million in Egypt is different to pleasing 50 million at home," ex-Tottenham manager Jol told ONTV satellite channel after the game.
"Today we had to do without Abdallah El-Said, Malick Evouna and Hossam Ghaly, but the players were up to the occasion.
"Ahly are the biggest club in Egypt, managing such a side means you'll never be able to get into enough sleeping."
Jol was on the brink of winning the Eredevisie with Ajax in the 2009-2010 season, when his side finished runners-up, only one point behind eventual champions Twente.
The 60-year-old manager, who took over at Ahly late in February, won only two cup titles in his career as manager, both coming in his homeland with Roda JC and Ajax.
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