Playing a pivotal role in Egypt's victorious campaign towards the African Cup of Nations title, Ahli midfielder Mohamed Abou-Treika is now keen on a move to Europe to improve both his game and bank account. But no official bids were received by Ahli for Abou-Treika since the tournament finished in February which mounted question marks over the chances of the 28-year-old to make his dream come true. Abou-Treika reveals it all in this exclusive interview with FilGoal.com. Why didn't you receive any offers after the African Cup? I believe that no club submitted offers for me because the winter transfer window in Europe has been already closed by the end of the tournament so any bids won't emerge till the summer. Reports said there was a Spanish offer before the tournament, is this true? No, it wasn't an offer. I was contacted by an agent who has close relationships with several Spanish clubs and he said he can arrange a move to La Liga but nothing serious took place ever since. Why didn't you join Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow despite their serious offer? Financial details were the stumbling block as Lokomotiv offered 2.7 million Euros but Ahli asked for a minimum fee of 5 million Euros. They opted then to go for my Egypt team mate Amr Zaki who signed for only 1.7 million Euros. Why did Ahli asked for this huge fee?
Abou-Treika (L) Because Ahli wanted me to stay at least until the end of the season upon the request of head coach Manuel Jose and I respected this decision. However, I wish they let me go in the summer. Will the Portuguese manager agree to let you go? It is not about me in particular, he just wants to keep all his team members especially with increasing numbers of offers submitted everyday for many players. But I will meet with him and explain how badly I need this move. I hope he can understand this. Do you want to leave for the sake of money or football? Frankly, for both of them. On one hand, I want to secure a luxurious future for myself and my family. On another, I want to improve myself and make history as one of the few Egyptian players who shined in Europe. Can't you make your little fortune in Egypt? Players in Egypt don't get paid as much money as people imagine and it can't be compared, by any means, with what a good footballer receives in Europe. Did your visit to Germany for the ‘Game Against Poverty' affect your view to local football? Of course, it did. Although it was a very short visit, I learnt a lot about what a real professional footballer does in Europe, how they live, train and play. It is completely different and I am really looking forward to go for this challenge. You are closing on 29, do you think there is a chance to play in Europe? Yes, I am sure I can join a big European club. Many European agents are still interested in me and I hope Ahli will agree on one of the offers that I am expecting in the off-season.
