Portuguese coach Augusto Inacio left his post as Zamalek coach on Thursday, one year ahead of the end of his year-and-a-half contract, Ahram Sports reported on Thursday.

The 62-year-old signed an 18-month contract with Zamalek in April, but he terminated his contract with the club by mutual consent on Thursday, ending a troubled week that hit the Cairo giants recently.

Inacio met with the Zamalek board in the presence of representatives from the Portuguese embassy in Cairo to terminate the deal.  

Zamalek's president Mortada Mansour had heavily criticised the Portuguese coach for the team's poor results, but the latter refused to take the blame, accusing the club's management of being the main reason behind the team's crisis.

Inacio said that he had no magic wand to rescue the team, and that he was not responsible for the departure of the team's stars Moustafa Fathi and Stanley Ohawuchi, who left the Cairo giants for the Saudi League.  

The situation escalated on Wednesday after the team's stunning 1-0 loss to Lebanese side Al-Ahd in the Arab Championship, which marked the elimination of the White Knights from the Arab tournament.

The club’s president had instructed newly appointed assistant coach Tarek Yehya to take charge instead of Inacio during the game against Al-Ahd, which took place in Alexandria, and prevented Inacio from appearing at the post-match news conference, inviting him for an urgent meeting with the club's management in Cairo.

On Thursday morning, Inacio informed the Portuguese embassy in Cairo that he was being held at the club's residence against his will. Shortly after, however, the Cairo giants announced that Inacio was at the club by choice, as the club's management had invited him to discuss the team's poor results.

Inacio is Zamalek's third coach this season, after replacing sacked coach Mohamed Helmi, who had replaced Moemen Soliman.

After losing the league title and their elimination from the Champions League group stage, Zamalek have no choice but to win the Egypt Cup to rescue their season.

They will face Masry in the competition's semis on 10 August.