CAIRO - Zamalek club board have decided to reject the resignation of the team's technical coach, Hassan Shehata, and keep him in his post, stressing that all members of the board voted in favour of this on Saturday, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported. "The board renew their confidence in Shehata as coach of the team in the coming period, as they all respect Shehata and understand that he submitted his resignation to allow the management to punish player Mahmoud Abdel-Razeq 'Shikaballah'," read a statement on Zamalek's official website. The board agreed on this after a meeting attended by club chairman Mamdouh Abbas. Shehata had said he would only continue with the team if the management released 'Mido' and 'Shikaballah'. "Shehata believes that the duo are not needed by the team in future, due to their performance last season," Ibrahim Youssef, a Zamalek board member, told MENA. TV cameras caught ‘Shika' angrily telling Shehata during Zamalek's African Champions League clash against Maghreb de Fes: “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 ‘Shika' 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 or infallible. The statement added that the board thanked team striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' for what he has done for the club. “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,” it continued. The cancellation of the 2011-12 Premier League season, the Martyrs' Cup and the Egypt Cup has made matters more difficult for any coach anxious to keep his players in tip-top condition. On February 1, in the coastal city of Port Said, an Egyptian Premier League match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly turned violent, claiming the lives of at least 74 Ahly fans and injuring around 1,000 more. As a result, in early March, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) cancelled the Premier League 2011-12 season, and the Martyrs' Cup and Egypt Cup, after Al-Ahly Ultras groups threatened to cause trouble in the stadiums, if the tournament and the Egypt Cup went ahead before the perpetrators of the massacre in Port Said punished. Shehata submitted his resignation to the club's board, because the management did not meet his demands and because they delayed in punishing player 'Shikaballah'. The club management confirmed in a meeting Saturday night that they will fine 'Shikaballah' 25 per cent of his season's wages.
