Past experiences did not benefit Ismaili's outcast defender Ibrahim Saied, who sees what should be his best years pass without achieving the on-field success he deserved. Once tipped to become one of the best players in Egypt's history, Saied let down many clubs who thought they had a precious jewel in the country's crown of talented footballers. A fresh row erupted between him and Ismaili, the club he joined from Turkish side Ankaragucu last summer, to signal another episode of his long-lasting sagas with Egyptian teams. Saied sought to terminate his deal with the Dervishes after accusing them of violating it. The Egyptian FA said they would allow him to do so only if he paid EGP one million in compensation for the club. "I'm pleased that I will no longer be an Ismaili player. I regret my decision to join them," the controversial defender told FilGoal.com after learning the FA decision. Perhaps such attitudes were the reason why Saied ruined his professional reputation and failed to play to his potential. Rashness, volatile temper and childish acts were the sort of behaviors that created Saied's bad boy image. The 29-year-old started his career at Ahli in 2000 and earned plaudits for string of impressive displays that tipped him for big things. He first landed himself in hot water with Ahli board after trying to seal a move to Belgian side Gent without the club's consent.
Childish acts? Saied later returned to the Red Devils, who reprieved him and decided to give him another chance to prove that he deserved a place in their squad. But the talented defender never grasped that opportunity. Lack of commitment and an ugly scuffle with then teammate Walid Salah Al-Din in 2003 made it impossible for Ahli to keep hold of him. "We forgave him when he tried to join Gent because he was young, but he continued to let us down. He didn't learn," Ahli marketing director Adli Al-Qaeyi, the man responsible for recruiting new players, commented. Saied's next step was a typical controversial one. He joined Ahli's arch-rivals Zamalek. The Egyptian international, who had a brief and unsuccessful spell with English side Everton in 2003, wasted another chance to forge a successful career at the White Knights. Actions like provoking Ahli fans in the Cairo derby via gestures and spitting at teammate Awuley Quaye 'Junior' in training showed that Saied did not feel any kind of remorse. Many pleas from Saied to return to Ahli after a one-year stint with Turkey's Rizespor were met by stern responses as the six-time African champions believed there was no hope that the player would follow their code of ethics. "I wasn't always the culprit, circumstances are not the same at every club," Saied said.
I wasn't always the culprit, Saied says "I have to admit that I was inexperienced during my Ahli days but my problems at Ismaili for instance were down to the bad treatment of the club's officials rather than mistakes from me." Still Alive Many think that Saied got his just deserts by failing to find the stability he went after for many years. He does not agree though as his hopes of revitalizing a troubled career are still alive. "My next destination is Europe. I don't want to play here, I want to try my luck in Europe and I believe I will succeed," Saied stated. "I will forget about any troubles I faced during my career if I moved to a good European club. That is my dream." Saied said such words on numerous occasions but never stuck to them. It's up to him to show that he is now more serious than ever. Maybe he bears in mind that in football never say never.
