French coach Carteron left by mutual consent following a four-match winless run, which saw Zamalek lose ground in the Egyptian Premier League race and drop to third in their African Champions League group.

Osama Nabih, an ex-Zamalek striker and a former Egypt assistant coach, took over on an interim basis until the club find a replacement.

Local reports suggested that Zamalek could turn to Pacheco, who managed the club for two stints, with the second ending in March last year when he was shown the door after some inconsistent results.

Carteron, Pacheco's predecessor, then returned to Zamalek and led them to their first league title since 2015.

"Pacheco is not in our thoughts; there is an issue between him and the club that we are trying to resolve amicably," Zamalek's football director Amir Mansour told an Egyptian radio station, referring to a dispute stemming from money owed to Pacheco after he was fired.   

"We do not want to mix things up as this may negatively affect the team."

Veteran Argentinean boss Cuper, who led Egypt to the 2017 African Nations Cup final and a place at the 2018 World Cup, was also mooted as a possible candidate to take over.

The 66-year-old is currently in charge of DR Congo, who are gearing up for a World Cup qualifying playoff against Morocco later this month.

"We are flattered to be linked with Cuper, but we have contacted him years ago and he told us he no longer accepts club jobs," Mansour said, adding that Zamalek are holding online interviews with several candidates.

"We prefer to have a new coach who has big experience in African football," he added.

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