Despite a long-standing crowd ban in football games, tensions boiled over ahead of Tuesday's Cairo derby between Ahly and Zamalek after both clubs engaged in a war of words initiated by a row over where the match would take place. Zamalek's outspoken chairman Mortada Mansour was his usual firebrand self when he launched a scathing attack on Ahly counterpart Mahmoud Taher for allowing the Red Devils' hardcore supporters to attend a training session two days before the anticipated derby. At the time, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said the match would take place in the Red Sea resort of El-Gouna, incurring the wrath of hosts Ahly who said they would not be able to play in a poor pitch amid the ongoing searing heat, given the lack of floodlights in the stadium. Some analysts suggested Ahly had opted to let thousands of supporters in during a training session to pressure Egyptian authorities into reversing that decision, a tacit tactic that paid dividends after Egypt's Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab gave the EFA the green light to stage the match at the army-owned Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria. Ultras Ahlawy feverishly chanted against Mansour, who is hated by the die-hard fans of Ahly and Zamalek alike. They hurled obscenities at him. The controversial lawyer reacted by unleashing a foul-mouthed outburst against Mahmoud Taher, a usually calm businessman, accusing him of allowing the fans to "terrorise citizens". There is no love lost between Mansour and the equally fiery Ultras groups, who were banned by a Cairo court in May although the repercussions of the ruling is not yet clear. Mansour also said Ahly had no respect for "state institutions", including the interior and defence ministries. "Egyptian football fans have followed the blatant obscenities of one of the people against Ahly, the club fans as well as the chairman and board members," the record winners of the Egyptian league with 37 titles under their belt said in a statement a few hours before the match. "This person was hosted by television shows and kept hurling insults … that contradict with the minimum principles of respectfulness. "He also wrongfully claimed that Ahly fans chanted [against him] although they set an example to follow in terms of discipline, given how they had entered and left the stadium despite their large numbers. "Ahly, the leader of Arab and African sports with its titles and trophies, refuses to be drawn into such matters … while stressing its respect for different opinions and views." Appeal for calm Social networking websites were also flooded with fiery comments from fans of both sides, fuelled by the heated exchange between Ahly and Zamalek chairmen. The club's official Facebook pages also exchanged derogatory comments, increasing tensions ahead of a crucial derby in which a draw would be enough for the success-starved Zamalek to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004. The current tense atmosphere is also partly down to a fierce competition in the summer transfer window, during which both sides vie to lure the country's best talents. Sports minister Khaled Abdel-Aziz appealed for calm, saying he would bring Mansour and Taher together for a "conciliatory meeting". "Things reached an unacceptable level between both men, which can threaten the public security because of the popularity of Ahly and Zamalek," Abdel-Aziz said in a television interview. "There will be a meeting next month to bury the hatchet and resolve all the differences between both of them." (For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/135891.aspx
