Following the departure of Mortada Mansour in August — four months after a court ruling removed him from his position — from Zamalek Sporting Club, one of Egypt’s two biggest football clubs, the club has been grappling with a gruesome financial crisis. The latter has been due to outstanding debts owed to former athletes and coaches in various sports. FIFA banned Zamalek from the transfer market in August as a consequence of failing to pay Sporting Lisbon USD 1.8 million (EGP 55 million) owed for the 2015 transfer of Mahmoud Shikabala. The ban has prevented Zamalek from making any new signings during the current summer transfer window, leading it to participate in the 2023 King Salman Club Cup in Saudi Arabia without reinforcements, and resulting in an early exit from the tournament in the first round. These challenges, coupled with mounting pressure from fans, left Zamalek’s entire board of directors with no choice but to resign from their roles ahead of the upcoming elections, which is scheduled to take place on 31 October. Soliman Wehdan, a former member of the board, explained in a statement, “Zamalek’s board of directors has…
Zamalek’s Recent Financial Crises Push the Club into a Precarious Position
September 8, 2023
