Manuel Jose, the most successful foreign coach in the history of Egyptian football, has resigned. Inas Mazhar reports on the man and the fallout The 63-year-old Portuguese put an end to his illustrious coaching career with the Egyptian giants Ahli after being in charge of the team for more than five years. It was a sad day at Ahli club on Sunday. A look at the faces of the club members as you entered said something was wrong. A blanket of depression covered the club. People were talking, whispering and wondering with looks of disappointment, bewilderment and disbelief on their faces. In the club's media centre, Gamal Gabr, the media officer, was in a state of panic while barking instructions to his team and dictating the young man sitting behind the computer to quickly put the statement of Jose's resignation on Ahli's official website. Hadi Khashaba, the club's former team captain and member of the club's football committee, was sitting, pale. "What's going on?" this reporter asked. The answer came from Khashaba and Gabr at the same time. "Jose has left for good" Just two days earlier, Jose had told the press he was staying until his contract expires next season. Al-Ahram Weekly asked Khashaba whether Ahli had a replacement in mind. "Not yet, however, he hasn't left the club yet. He met with us, the football committee in the morning, and gave us his final decision. He will leave and take on another job as head coach of the national team of Angola. We respected his decision. He said he would remain with the team until the end of May, meaning that he will lead the team in the last two matches in the national league and also in the two-leg matches against Santos of Angola in the African Confederations Cup." Throughout, the centre's landline phone and Gabr's mobile phone never stopped ringing. Last week, a delegation from Angola was at Ahli club to meet Jose, the first inkling that Jose might be leaving. According to sources in the club, Jose was offered 150,000 euros a month by the Angolans. In Ahli he was making 83,000 euros a month. Angola officials, who face a public demanding to announce the team's head coach so as to start their build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations which they are hosting in January 2010, called Jose Sunday morning and told him the news of his appointment will appear on their official website soon. Accordingly, Jose rushed to the Ahli football committee and told them the news should the Egyptian club want to break the news before anybody else. Jose informed the players of his decision after the Sunday morning training, telling them to do their best in the last two matches in the national league because "winning the title would be the best present for me before leaving the club." As soon as the news of Jose's resignation broke online, Ahli fans started surrounding the club, calling on Jose to remain with the team. Two board members were spotted running as they crossed the street to enter the main gate of the club. The immediate future of seven players sidelined by Jose is uncertain. The club awaits the new head coach to decide whether he needs them or whether they are to be released. According to sources, Ahli is now busy studying CVs of foreign coaches with Luthar Matheus coach of Germany on top of the list of candidates as well as an unnamed Croatian coach. Even though the club has suffered recent setbacks, Jose is considered the most successful coach in the history of the club. He guided the club to 18 titles in his two stints in charge of the Cairo side. Jose joined Ahli for the first time in 2001 and won the Champions League and the African Super Cup before returning to his home country to coach Belenenses. He returned to Ahli in 2003. Overall, he led Ahli to four national league titles, four African Champions League crowns, two Egypt FA Cups, four Egyptian Super Cups and four African Super Cups, plus a bronze medal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Japan.
