CAIRO - Sabri Serag, the vice-chairman of Zamalek Club, stressed that the club wants to keep Hassan Shehata as the head of technical management of the football team, stressing that a final decision will be made when all members of the club's board vote on this on Saturday. “Hassan Shehata is a great coach who has managed to build a strong Zamalek team. He has also got them to the round of eight in the African Champions League after an absence of many years, despite the difficult circumstances in Egypt, with the suspension of domestic league matches,” Serag told kooora.com. 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'. “We have not accepted his resignation, as the board members have agreed to make the final decision about this in the presence of all members of the club's board, who will vote on this," Serag explained. The vice-chairman of Zamalek Club stressed that Shehata must continue for many reasons and that his departure would be a great loss for the White Nights. The club's board have decided to meet again on Saturday, after club chairman Mamdouh Abbas returns from Spain on Friday night, to take a final decision about Shehata. Abbas has refused to accept the board meeting's decision to accept the resignation of the 62-year-old tactician, who has asked the management to release striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' from the squad for next season. Shehata says that his resignation from the club is final and irreversible, denying reports that he will coach the Kuwaiti national team. “My resignation from Zamalek is final and irrevocable, as it is the correct response in the wake of Zamalek club officials accusing me of not respecting the club," he told Yallakroa.com in Kuwait. "I had no choice but to resign and the board members in their meeting accepted my resignation within only two minutes," Shehata added, stressing that he will not go back on his decision. “What people are saying now is none of my business,” he continued, denying reports that he is now in Kuwait to coach their national team. “I have good relations with officials in the Kuwaiti Football Association and the Kazma club,” he explained, stressing that the Kuwait visit is a friendly one. Shehata, as a player, played for the Kazma club of Kuwait from 1968-1971; he also played for Al-Arabi club of Kuwait during the Asian Club Cup. “I have been invited to Kuwait by a Kuwaiti company, in order to have some rest and recreation after this recent difficult period,” he concluded. Ibrahim Youssef, a Zamalek board member, told Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) that the club management have, till now, failed to get Shehata to agree to stay with the team. Youssef explained that the club management decided in a meeting last Saturday night to fine 'Shikaballah' 25 per cent of his season's wages; they also agreed for him to play for another team on loan in the coming period. "We have also decided that striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' will continue with the team," he added. Youssef denied reports that the club is negotiating with the twins Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan to take over the Zamalek technical management, after the resignation of Shehata. “The return of Hossam and Ibrahim to lead the technical staff of the team is not acceptable at all, as we want stability for the team,” Youssef told MENA, “Some board members are trying hard to persuade Shehata to reconsider his decision to resign, especially as the management have decided on loaning out 'Shikaballah'.” Meanwhile, another board member, Raouf Gasser, says that it's now up to Hassan Shehata, himself. “The ball is now in Shehata's court. Last Saturday, the board members waited for seven hours to come to the club to attend our meeting but he didn't. “So we decided to accept his resignation," Gasser added, pointing out that many board members called the coach on his phone but he refused to answer.
