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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 November 1999 Issue No. 454 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 November 1999 Issue No. 454
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters In the hot seat
By Inas Mazhar
Egypt's long search for a new coach for the national football team ended last week with the hiring of Frenchman Gerard Gili. A former head coach of Marseilles, Gili steps into the high-profile, pressure post left vacant for over three months following the resignation of Mahmoud El-Gohari in the wake of Egypt's shocking 5-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in the Confederations Cup in Mexico in July.
At a two-hour press conference, Gili promised to lead the team to the 2002 World Cup. For the Frenchman, it will be a difficult vow to keep. Egypt has been in only two World Cups, the last in 1990. One promise Gili said he could not keep for Egypt's rabid soccer fans was defending the crown in the African Nations Cup, which Egypt won last year.
Gili said that two months, the period remaining for the cup, would give him little time to prepare the team. He said the championship would at least help in preparing the team for the World Cup to be jointly hosted between Japan and South Korea.
Gili's two-year contract can be annulled after six months by either side without any punishment meted out. Gili will receive a monthly salary of $35,000 and will be provided with accommodation and a car. After six months, if either party wishes to bail out, the equivalent of four-months worth of Gili's salary will be paid to the other side.
Gili admitted that his knowledge of African soccer was limited and came from watching some matches on TV and during his years as a scout. He did say soccer on the continent was improving.
He said his assistant, Anwar Salama, in charge of the team since El-Gohari's sudden exit, would be his guide in the early days. Following the deal, Gili returned to France -- where he and Salama will take a look at the Egyptian players based in Europe where the Frenchman said he has plans to play a couple of friendly matches. Gili will return to Cairo on 12 November.
Gili between Click's Zoheir Ammar (left) and Mohamed El-Tawila (right)
Gili said he was pleased to work in Egypt under such lucrative conditions. He was referring to the LE29 million contract signed by Egyptian Football Association, Al-Ahram Organisation and Misrphone (Click) to improve the standard of soccer in Egypt. Gili said the deal was the richest in the world and that he had never seen such a huge amount of money spent on the game. "This will allow for more training camps abroad and more friendly matches to be played outside Egypt," he said. The result, he added, would be to the benefit of Egyptian football.
According to Zoheir Ammar, sponsorship director at Misrphone, the company will not interfere in the decision making of the team's technical staff. "We are sponsoring all activities of the Egyptian Football Association, including the league championships and the national cups for seniors and juniors," Ammar said. "Our only goal is to serve Egyptian football and help it to progress. Therefore, we are ready to continue financially supporting and sponsoring the game." said Ammar.
One promise which Gili said he would keep will be to hold regular press conferences to answer questions concerning the team and his work. Gili's first encounter with the press did not go down well when he chose to speak to the French media ahead of Egyptian journalists at the press conference. The Egyptians were forced to wait until he finished a French TV interview first.
Gili, who was selected by the Egyptian Football Association following months of negotiations with five other foreign head coaches, asked the media and fans to be patient and give him more time to study the team and the players "in order to set up a serious programme for the future." He said he was not acquainted with the team or the players and, as a result, needed more time. But knowing that Egyptians want results from their team -- and fast -- it is doubtful Gili will be given all the time in the world.
