The coach of Egypt's national football team, Hassan Shehata, is extremely upset to have come under fire from millions of soccer fans in Egypt for his loyalty to and support for ex-President Hosni Mubarak. Defending himself to the hilt, Shehata says that he appreciated the fact that the young people, who revolted in Al Tahrir Square against the Mubarak regime called for freedom, social Justice and dig- nity. Shehata, who was declared a national hero after leading the Pharaohs to three straight African Cup of Nations wins, provoked the ire of football fans, when he co-led a pro-Mubarak demonstration in the plush Cairo quarter of Mohandiseen. He also gave statements, insisting that Mubarak should remain in power until his tenure in office expired constitutionally this September. The young Egyptians decided to silence Shehata, after he said that the support of Mubarak's sons, Gamal and Alaa, helped Egypt win the prestigious African Cup of Nations three times on the trot, while refusing to thank the fans for their support. The protesters in Al Tahrir Square , were further angered when Shehata urged them to go home because ‘enough was enough'. The team's managers and a number of its stars, including popular striker Mohamed Abu Treika, have been added to a black list of anti-revolution- ary people. Refusing to retract his statements, Shehata “Mubarak is a symbol of the nation,” he said in a recent interview. “He should not have been insulted by being forced to depart.” Shehata, famous for his knitted eyebrows, said tartly that his young detractors should not mistake him for being an enemy of the Youth Revolution. “On the contrary, I appreciate their revolu- tion and their ambitions. But we should not ignore the fact that stability and security were hallmarks of the era of the former President,” he told the Arabic-language magazine Al- Mussawar. “How can we ignore the fact that, under Mubarak, Egypt never got entangled in any regional political problems or armed conflicts?” he asked. Shehata added that he and his players offered their condolences to the families of the victims of the Revolution. Despite the invective hurled at him, he is deter- mined to lead the Egyptian team to quality for the next World Cup. “I'm not leaving,” he stressed. “I have rejected all offers to coach Arab and African teams. No-one should doubt my loyalty to my country.”
