Tottenham Hotspur surely had to impose a harsh sanction on Hossam Ghaly nearly two years ago when he took off his jersey and tossed it, but now would be a good time to grant him a reprieve. The 27-year-old was doing great at White Hart Lane till he inappropriately lost his nerve when he was substituted by his then coach Martin Jol in a Premier League game. Obviously, Jol is not the only reason why the Egyptian international has turned into an outcast, as the latter remained undesirable even after the departure of the Dutch tactician. When Ghaly was about to make a surprise senior-team comeback early this January, it turned out that he's still haunted by the same career-ruining slip-up. He was set to come on as a substitute during the 3-1 home victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup, but unfortunately he didn't cross the by-line. By the time he was about to step onto the pitch, the beleaguered player was jeered by Spurs' fans, who haven't forgotten his infamous shirt tantrum, and the player subsequently returned to bench. Apparently, Hotspur still have no real intention of giving Ghaly a second chance, and so are the supporters who prevented him from being introduced in the FA game. So the question for those who oppose Ghaly's return would be 'hasn't he suffered enough?'
Nowadays, Ghaly is barely newsworthy. Doesn't that sound a sufficient punishment for what he did? The combative midfielder was once perceived to be the most successful abroad-based Egyptian footballer, but nowadays he's barely newsworthy. Doesn't that sound a sufficient punishment for what he did? The Ahli homegrown player apologized for his petulant attitude over and over again, and he's clearly eager to start over at the London-based club, but what can he possibly do to atone for his mistake? As a matter of fact, there is absolutely nothing he can do in the meantime either to change his unfortunate status or to make amends. He cannot feature for his team, and thus would never draw the attention of other outfits, not to mention the high probability of losing his place in Egypt squad as a result of his non-participation. In other words, one silly overreaction marred his entire career for good, which doesn't make much of sense. During his productive days at Spurs, the former Feyenoord player was thought of as an influential individual rather than a troublemaker, and this fact should count for something. His exemplary dedication and passion were evidently impressive, and for that he deserves a second chance, only then he would be able to make up for Hotspur's fans and open the possibility of joining another team.
