A disappointing season can hardly blemish a highly-successful tenure for Ahli boss Manuel Jose, who will leave after stamping an irremovable mark on Egyptian football. Ahli announced that Jose would depart at the end of the season to take over Angola, a premature exit for the coach who said last month that he would see out his contract which expires in the summer of 2010. Regardless of Ahli's elimination from the Champions League preliminaries and their inconsistent results in this season's Egyptian league, the achievements Jose has made throughout his adventure are likely to keep him a cult figure for the Red Devils' fans. "Egyptian football and Ahli will miss Jose," his assistant Hossam Al-Badri, who may take charge of the team on a temporary basis, said. "He improved football in the whole country through employing new techniques with Ahli." The Cairo giants were left to rue their decision to sack Jose in 2002 following his failure to steer them to their favorite league title. The Portuguese was relieved of his duties despite building a promising team that managed to win the Champions League and fought for the league title till the very end before relinquishing it to Ismaili in heartbreaking fashion. Ahli's infamous 6-1 victory over arch-rivals Zamalek in the Cairo derby also highlighted a brief yet successful spell for Jose. After he was fired, Ahli endured two barren seasons during which they were outshone by Zamalek. The six-time African champions had no option but to bring him back. "The person we love returned back, and another 6-1 victory is on track," read a banner carried by Ahli fans following Jose's return. This time, it was clear that Ahli took the right decision. Jose brought in the likes of Mohamed Shawky, Mohamed Abou-Treika, Mohamed Barakat and Emad Al-Nahhas - the stars who formed the backbone of the most successful squad in Ahli's history. Under the guidance of Jose, those players led Ahli to a host of local and continental triumphs. They won the league four times in a row and clinched the Egyptian Cup twice at the expense of Zamalek.
Special bond with players On the continental level, Ahli reached the CAF Champions League final four consecutive times, winning three of them to break Zamalek's record of five triumphs in Africa's premier competition. Jose's trophy-laden years included three African Super Cups and four Egyptian Super Cups. "The huge success of Jose in Egypt is a source of pride for Portuguese people," Portugal legend Eusebio said on the eve of a friendly game between Ahli and Benfica in 2007. Emotional Jose Jose's tactical ability is undoubted but has other skills which helped him become an Ahli legend. Emotional aspects are understood to have created a friendly atmosphere between the 63-year-old and his players, thus motivating them to give it their all on the pitch. His fiery temper cost him a warm relationship with media and opposing managers but his behavior in Ahli's dressing room was much calmer. "Jose can unlock the talent of any player," classy playmaker Abou-Treika stated. "I take his opinion in my personal matters because he is someone whom I trust very much." Jose, who shed tears during a live interview last year when talking about Ahli's late defender Mohamed Abdul-Wahab, usually takes the blame for any stumble rather than criticizing his players. The players in return leapt to his defense every time media berated him for a rare failure. "We (the players) are responsible for the defeat against Pachuca. Jose is not to blame," Ahli skipper Shadi Mohamed said following Ahli's 4-2 defeat to the Mexican side in last year's FIFA Club World Cup. Read also Ahli's life after Jose
