Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC are preparing to complete a wide-ranging restructuring of their football department, with former coach Mohamed Youssef emerging as a leading candidate to take charge of the club’s youth sector, according to multiple internal developments.
The club’s hierarchy is currently finalising the structure of the football operation before an official announcement is made in the coming hours. Once approved, the new framework will assign clear responsibilities across all departments ahead of the new season.
Club vice-president Yassin Mansour and board member Sayed Abdel-Hafiz are overseeing the final stages of the restructuring plan. Both are expected to present the full structure to club president Mahmoud El Khatib for approval at an upcoming board meeting.
As part of the changes, several key appointments across the club’s football operations have already been lined up. These include Dr Essam Siraj El-Din as contracts manager, Tunisian coach Anis Boujelbane in charge of scouting management, Abdel Moneim as academy director, Hisham Hanafi as supervisor of the Delphi team, Shadi Mohamed as head of women’s football, and Ahmed Ramadan as technical director.
The restructuring also signals major changes within the first-team setup. A settlement is reportedly being negotiated with the current head coach, Danish manager Jesse Torup, which would lead to an agreed termination of his contract following discussions over penalty clauses.
An internal source indicated that the contracts of Torup’s Egyptian assistants, including Walid Salah El-Din, who serves as football director, and assistant coach Adel Mostafa, have already expired.
In another key development, former player Wael Gomaa has officially been appointed as director of football. He is expected to arrive in Cairo early next week to formally begin his duties within the reshaped structure.
Despite these confirmed changes, one area of the club’s football operation remains unresolved: the future leadership of the youth sector.
According to internal discussions, Al Ahly are currently awaiting the finalisation of an agreement with Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam to bring in a technical team from the Netherlands to support the development structure. If that agreement is completed, it is expected to directly influence the final decision on the youth department leadership.
Sources suggest that Mohamed Youssef is the leading candidate for the position of head of the youth sector. However, his role would be primarily administrative, working alongside a Dutch technical team responsible for coaching and development if the Ajax deal is completed.
In this model, Youssef would oversee the organisational and operational side of youth development, while the technical coaching framework would be handled by specialists brought in from Ajax.
The source added that the club is keen to retain Youssef due to his experience and previous contributions, noting that he had turned down other significant opportunities following a request to return to a sporting leadership role. His previous work is also viewed as valuable in supporting long-term talent identification and youth development.
The final decision regarding Youssef’s appointment will be presented to him for approval before being confirmed, reflecting both the club’s strategic ambitions and its desire to stabilise the football structure ahead of the new season.
Once completed, the overhaul will mark one of the most significant reorganisations of Al Ahly’s football department in recent years, with changes spanning coaching, administration, scouting, and youth development.
