Former Zamalek and Egypt striker Ahmed Hossam Mido says decisions made by the club over the handling of several player contracts have contributed to financial losses of at least EGP350m.
Mido said Zamalek’s current financial and administrative problems, including difficulties paying players’ dues and bonuses and continuing cases before FIFA, were not unexpected.
He argued that the problems were the result of decisions made in the management of important football-related matters over a period of time.
Speaking on Al-Nahar channel, Mido said the club had suffered significant financial damage after terminating the contracts of four players within a relatively short period.
According to the former Zamalek player, the consequences of those decisions have extended beyond the club’s finances, with FIFA cases and registration bans creating additional difficulties for the team.
Zamalek are also facing pressure to meet their financial obligations while dealing with cases involving former players and officials.
Mido said former club president Mamdouh Abbas had previously raised the possibility of referring officials who were responsible for managing the football department to the Public Funds Prosecution.
He also referred to comments previously made by Zamalek lawyer Kamal Shuaib concerning requests for some former officials to appear for investigations. According to Mido, those individuals did not comply with the requests.
Why Zamalek stepped back from legal action
Mido also provided an account of why Zamalek’s board did not continue with efforts to escalate the matter legally.
He said president Hussein Labib had initially taken the position that officials whose decisions caused financial losses to the club, or contributed to cases that eventually resulted in registration suspensions, should be held responsible.
Labib, according to Mido, believed that those who had made mistakes should be held accountable.
However, some members of the board reportedly expressed concern that investigating former officials could eventually lead to questions being directed at the current administration because it is the body officially responsible for running the club.
Mido said this concern contributed to the decision not to pursue the matter further at that stage.
He also claimed that Zamalek had been required to spend substantial sums to resolve some of its outstanding problems in order to satisfy the conditions for obtaining an African licence.
In his view, money that could otherwise have been used to settle players’ outstanding payments was instead directed towards resolving those wider issues.
General Assembly members consider action
The dispute could now move beyond the club’s boardroom.
Mido indicated that several members of Zamalek’s General Assembly are considering submitting a memorandum to Egypt’s Attorney General and the Minister of Youth and Sports.
The proposed action would concern what they believe could amount to the misuse of public funds in connection with the decisions that contributed to the club’s financial losses.
They are expected, according to Mido’s account, to call for anyone proven responsible to be held accountable.
Mido stressed that his comments were not intended to target an individual.
Instead, he said his position was motivated by what he considered to be the best interests of Zamalek and the need for officials to accept responsibility for decisions made during their periods in office.
He particularly highlighted the importance of responding appropriately to warnings and legal claims involving players whose contracts had been terminated.
Ignored warnings at centre of dispute
Mido identified what he described as the failure to act on official warnings sent to Zamalek as a major factor behind the club’s financial difficulties.
He said ignoring those warnings ultimately contributed to losses of approximately EGP350m, while also helping to create the circumstances that led to FIFA registration suspensions.
Those sanctions have subsequently produced both sporting and financial consequences for the club.
The situation has also contributed to dissatisfaction among Zamalek supporters.
Mido said the frustration of fans with the board was not necessarily based solely on the team’s results. Instead, he argued that supporters were aware of the scale of the financial and administrative problems confronting the club.
He also suggested that the current board was, in his assessment, connected to some of the decisions that contributed to the losses.
The financial situation could now have an impact on Zamalek’s squad.
Mido said the club may have to consider selling players to generate the money required to address its outstanding problems. Brazilian forward Juan Bezerra was among the players he mentioned as a possible source of financial liquidity.
For Mido, the issue ultimately comes down to accountability.
He called for the relevant files to be reopened and for those found to have made decisions that caused losses to Zamalek to face the consequences.
He said the club’s supporters and the law should ultimately determine how those responsible for any proven violations are dealt with.
The former Egypt international insisted that there should be no retreat from investigating the decisions that have contributed to Zamalek’s current predicament.
