Saied's red hair! One of Egypt's most talented, yet controversial players ever, Ibrahim Saied could not miss out on the chance of further raising eyebrows after joining English side Everton in January 2003. The ex-Ahli defender, on loan to David Moyes' side at that time, was released after just two weeks at the Merseyside with the failure to feature in a single competitive game Everton almost registered the then-20-year-old , only if it was not for his request to have his deal rescinded by mutual consent citing his ‘mother's illness' as a reason behind his desire to return home. One trade-mark antic summed up Saied's stint with the Toffees - the bitter rivals of Liverpool - when he dyed his hair red in an attempt to impress the English with his ‘stylish character'. Unaware of the tension he might cause by turning red at Goodison Park, Saied said a few years later: “I was only 20 years old at that time, I was a bit naïve. I was supposed to play (in the Merseyside derby) against Liverpool, but people were surprised to see my red hair! “I did not know that it would cause problems because Liverpool wear a red shirt. Moyes eventually did not play me for that reason." Ghaly and the Spurs shirt After a making a relatively good start at Tottenham Hotspur following a winter 2006 move from Feyenoord, Hossam Ghaly bore the brunt of an irrational act that marked the end of his stint at White Hart Lane and eventually in Europe. During a Premier League game against Blackburn Rovers in the second half of the 2006-2007 season, Ghaly incurred the wrath of the fans when he took off his shirt and tossed it on the ground in protest over his substitution. Even though Marin Jol's decision to take off his first-half sub raised a few eyebrows, the Dutch boss was never blamed and Ghaly was not granted reprieve by neither the fans nor the club's board. Despite a series of apologies that eventually saw Spurs loan him out to Derby County, Ghaly had to pay the price of his infamous shirt tantrum by leaving North London for good. Zaki...'the most unprofessional player'!
The notorious Ibrahim Saied An auspicious start to his Europe career saw Amr Zaki notch 10 league goals in the first half of the 2008-2009 Premier League season with Wigan; a feat that reportedly linked him with the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid! At a certain point, the robust hitman topped the goal-scoring charts, outshining the likes of Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba in the process, and seemed to have taken such a big feat for granted. However, Zaki's Wigan honeymoon was not meant to last longer, thanks to a succession of disciplinary problems that prematurely ended his glittering spell at the English side. The Bulldozer failed to report back to club from international duty on time on several occasions, as his lack of commitment prompted then-manager Steve Bruce to label him the 'the most unprofessional player he has ever worked with'. The Egypt frontman was eventually forced to leave the Latics who announced they will not be taking up the option of a permanent deal and accordingly Zaki's career in Europe was shattered. Hamza's Mainz nightmare Following a series of troubles with boyhood club Zamalek, Gamal Hamza joined Mainz on a free transfer in the summer of 2009. The talented forward, however, parted ways with the German side less than four months later after being criticized by the club of 'not being able to put up with the physical demands of the Bundesliga'. In reference to the former Egypt international, Mainz boss manager Thomas Tuchel said: “Hamza lacks the fundamental characteristics of a player." Hamza's struggle to prove his credentials eventually prompted Mainz to annul his two-year deal after failing to make the squad for nine consecutive Bundesliga games. Mido's weight The way Mido has been ditched by English side Barnsley sums up the former Tottenham hitman's desperate struggle with weight and fitness problems in recent years. A dismal campaign at the Championship outfit saw him feature for no more than 27 minutes for, with continuous injury and weight problems taking a toll on him.
His inability to lose weight and regain his fitness sealed his fate at Barnsley, who had to offload their summer recruit after hardly benefiting from the transfer. It was almost the same Mido story with Middlesbrough, Wigan, West Ham and even boyhood club Zamalek, who eventually had to release the once-wonderkid on a free. Zidan ‘faking it' Despite spending a roughly ten-year spell in Europe, Mohamed Zidan had barely been renowned of lack of professionalism all through a sparkling career overseas. Even so, the former Borussia Dortmund striker has been offloaded by Emirate side Bani Yas after being accused of ‘feigning injury to skip his side's league games'. Zidan's international career was not free of similar controversy, which has last seen him intentionally pull out of a World Cup qualifier for Egypt, and now the 31-year-old is left with the embarrassment of looking for a new club. Late Shikabala The talismanic Shikabala - a Zamalek prodigy - plied his trade overseas twice, with his first spell abroad dating back to 2005 at Greek side PAOK. The PAOK stint was free of controversy but it was rather his second tenure abroad at UAE side Al-Wasl that saw the 26-year-old hit the headlines for both the right and wrong reasons. The midfield marvel initially put in scintillating displays for Wasl, whom he joined on a one year-long loan from Zamalek, but at a point was accused by the club's board for partying only 48 hours before his side's thumping 5-0 defeat to Al-Ain. The problem seemed to have been settled between the player and his club though until he was surprisingly offloaded by Emirate side in the winter. A familiar Egyptian antic was eventually the reason as Shikabala failed to show full commitment by arriving late after treating a thigh injury at home; an act that caused the obviously-impatient Wasl officials to prematurely annul their star's loan deal and transfer-list him.
