Ahly s Swiss coach Marcel Koller. AFP
In an interview with the Swiss German-language daily newspaper Aargauer Zeitung, Koller said that he finds his experience in Egypt satisfying and is determined to win all trophies to please the multitudes of Ahly's supporters.
“Ahly is not just a football club; they have teams in almost every sport. They also have more employees than my former club, Basel,” he said.
“Ahly can be compared with European teams – a testament to the club's quality,” Koller added.
Since Koller took over the team in September 2022, Ahly has won all the titles they have competed for, including two Super Cup titles, the Egypt Cup, the African Champions League, and a record-extending 43rd Egyptian League title.
“We are performing well. We can even win the FIFA Club World Cup, which remains the only trophy we look forward to winning,” he said during the interview.
“I speak regularly with the club's president. He wants to extend my contract,” Koller said.
"For now, it is important to take a vacation," he followed.
Koller's two-year contract with Ahly expires in August 2024.
Fans in the stands!
Koller also said that he felt disappointed at the limited number of supporters who attend league games despite Ahly's status as the biggest team in Africa.
However, he noted that things change dramatically when supporters fill the stadium during the knockout games of the CAF Champions League.
Koller, who previously coached Basel and Austria, led the latter to qualify for their second Euro tournament in 2016.
He won the Swiss League title with St. Gallen in 2000 and the Swiss Cup with Basel in 2019.
Before coming to Ahly, Koller coached FC Cologne and VfL Bochum in the German Bundesliga.
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