Manuel Jose was frustrated with Ahli fans after a section of the crowd poured their rage on the Portuguese manager, following the 3-1 defeat to Etoile Sahel. The defending champions missed out on securing a third successive CAF Champions League title after losing to the Tunisian side at Cairo Stadium on Friday. However, shameful events took place after the game, as some angry fans threw empty bottles on Jose, while he was on his way to receive the silver medal. "I am fully responsible for the defeat, but I never expected such an attitude from our fans, this is disgraceful," Jose said in the post-match conference. "If they want me to leave, that's no problem for me, I can quit and the next day I'll find a new job." Regrettably, Jose was not the only victim of the fans' rage, which also reached the winning side, whose captain Saber ben Frej was grabbed from his shirt by an out of order supporter from the stands. Apart from the unpleasant scenes, a large number of the Reds' fans condemned the assault on Jose and Etoile players. Poor Refereeing
Jose: shocked Jose believes that referees' errors in both legs dearly cost his side the unprecedented achievement of making it three on the trot. "I'm not making any excuses, but Ahli would have won the title for the third consecutive year had the referees made better decisions," he added. In the first-leg goalless draw in Sousse, Mohamed Barakat was denied a clear penalty by Cameroonian referee Evehe Devine, who booked the mercurial midfielder for alleged diving. Moroccan official Abderrahim El-Arjoune also stirred controversy in the second-leg, twice waving play on although Mohamed Abou-Treika and Ahmed Shedid were brought down inside the area. "These external factors played a key role in our defeat. If I believe that I committed fatal errors which cost us the win, I will depart right now." Jose saluted the efforts of his men, believing they do not share responsibility for the stunning result. "They are playing without proper time to rest for the fourth year running, they were subjected to a high psychological pressure." "The defeat is not the end of the world, I will meet with the players after my return from vacation to emphasize that we have to move on. "We will be concentrating on the Egyptian League campaign in the upcoming period," Jose concluded.
