CAIRO - Hassan Shehata, the Zamalek coach who recently resigned, said that Manuel José da Silva did so much for both Ahly and Egyptian soccer. “Egyptian football will miss a great man and a talented coach who did great things for his team and the national team,” Shehata told Al-Ahly TV channel on Sunday night, during José's last media appearance. Shehata explained that Al-Ahly shone under the management of José, who helped the team win many tournaments when he (Shehata) was Egypt's national team coach. José replied to Shehata: "You are a very modest person and I think that the national team won so many trophies because of you, not the Ahly players." "You changed football in Africa, and made footballing history by winning the African Cup of Nations three times in a row," José added. Zamalek technical coach Hassan Shehata submitted his resignation to the club's board, because the management did not meet his demands and because they delayed punishing player Mahmoud Abdel-Razaq 'Shikaballah'. Sabri Serag, the vice-chairman of Zamalek Club, has denied reports that the club has accepted the resignation of Hassan Shehata, stressing that Shehata is continuing in his post after club chairman Mamdouh Abbas, who was not present at the meeting, froze the decision to accept his resignation. The club's board will hold another meeting next Saturday, after Abbas returns from Spain on Friday night, to take a final decision about Shehata. The 62-year-old tactician had asked the management to release both ‘Shika' and Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' from the squad for next season, as he believes that the duo are not needed by the team in future, due to their performance last season. The coaching staff of the senior national team headed by Bob Bradley, Egypt's technical coach, have decided to suspend 'Shikaballah' from the squad that are in a preparation camp abroad in Sudan, after he flew off the handle during his team's African Champions League clash against Maghreb de Fes. TV cameras caught ‘Shikaballah' angrily telling Shehata: “Do you have to replace me every time? If you don't want me in the team, then let me go.” The match in Cairo witnessed ‘Shikaballah' losing his cool, when coach Shehata decided to replace him. "Shikaballah is a talented player and he is like my own son, but his behaviour was totally unacceptable," Shehata said of Shika's reaction, stressing that no-one is perfect and infallible.
