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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Now you see him, now you don't
By Abeer Anwar
Mahmoud Abu Regela, the embattled Zamalek football coach, has resurrected more times than a cat with the proverbial nine lives.
Zamalek coach Abu Regela
Since 1970, the oft-bouncing coach has managed Zamalek's football club on seven different occasions, a dubious achievement chalked up in the local record books. Abu Regela's reasons for leaving have almost always included pitched battles with either fans, management, players, or all three. But in due time the man they dub Mr Impossible always manages to resurface. The 53-year-old coach recently gave his customary adieu, but true to form, was back at work -- his signature on the letter of resignation barely dry.
The latest about-face occurred last week, when, almost immediately after his team had beaten Mansoura in injury time, Abu Regela told reporters he was calling it a day -- again. "My ties with Zamalek are over," he said. He said it was normal to lose a match -- which on this particular day did not happen -- but added that the fans were the main reason behind his resignation. Visibly distraught, he said he could no longer tolerate the abuse spewing forth from spectators. "This is not the way the fans are supposed to thank me for what I did."
What Abu Regela did most recently was guide Zamalek to the cup earlier this year. The trophy was consolation for another year which passed by without a league title to Zamalek's name.
Abu-Regela's anger at Zamalek's fans is also directed at what he says is the intentional bias they show. "They cheer one player and forget about the other. This affects the psychology of the players and destroys all what I did and what I had prepared them for. What it takes me to do in several days is lost in minutes." He added that as a result, he wrongly takes all the blame for their performance.
Abu Regela first took over Zamalek in 1970, followed by six other stints in 1978, '79, '83, '84, '90 and '99. His call-up is usually decided when the club is in dire straits, as in 1990 when Zamalek lost to Misri on the final day of the season to lose the league title, and again this year following the sudden, mid-season departure of coach Farouk Gaafar.
Is he a coach who cries wolf far too often? Abu Regela does not return for higher pay, nor for the glory nor the adulation. Having been a star player in the 1950s and 1960s for Zamalek, he has never worn a jersey other than the white and red stripes of Zamalek. "To me, Zamalek is not just a club," Abu Regela said. "It is my home and it is my duty to rescue it even in an earthquake because I am one of its sons."
Few doubt that Abu Regela has a genuine passion for the club. "I always work with my players not for the sake of championships but to produce talented players who are well-behaved and obedient and who are capable of representing Egypt in international events. I am after talent, not titles."
Some reports claimed the match against Mansoura, in which Zamalek won by the skin of its teeth, triggered the resignation, but Abu Regela denies the suggestion. "I was very happy with my team's performance," he said. "The only thing lacking was goals. Fans are easily angered if there are no goals at the beginning."
In an earlier match, Zamalek levelled 1-1 with lowly Aluminium and the coach did not deny the difficulties his team had then. "The problem is scoring goals. That is what we are concentrating on in the coming period."
Obviously there will be a coming period. Abu Regela decided to reverse his decision to leave, because, in his words, he was backed by players and fans who begged him to stay. Zamalek's board members also showered him with praise for his past achievements, especially winning last year's cup final. The board has promised Abu Regela that spectators who have been pestering him from the stands will be banned from the stadium when Zamalek plays. "The board has always backed me," he said, adding that he has been given a mandate to buy, sell or suspend any player.
Abu Regela has been pronounced career-dead more times than anybody in living memory. How long his latest stint will last is anybody's guess. But he has, up until now, always loved to disappoint his eulogists.
