As football professionalism steadily develops around the world, it is always heading backwards in Egypt. Every week we witness some shocking stories that are hardly related to football, with players, managers, club boards and even the FA switching the leading role. While Egyptian players are often accused of being unprofessional and sometimes lacking discipline, the reasons behind such an irritating fact must be analyzed. Apart from education, moral attributes and personality factors of players, the behavior of club boards is definitely making it easier for footballers to go rogue. Egypt's 'Top trio' Let's have a look at some examples from the present, ironically starring the club boards of Egypt's top three clubs. -During the early days of the current year, Amr Zaki went AWOL on Zamalek and talks of being 'transfer-listed' and 'severely punished' were mentioned. A few days later, the Bulldozer showed his innocent face, asking for forgiveness and eventually got away with his behavior as if nothing had happened. Shockingly, Zamalek's pre-season witnessed a carbon-copy scenario, this time star midfielder Shikabala was the hero. Zamalek's latest reaction suggested that the 24-year-old 'will surely be disciplined according the club's regulations'. For my money, Shikabala will be selected for Zamalek's season opener next week, a few cents will be deducted from his bank account and that's it. Because the ''club's regulations'' cannot go against the team's star! -The Ahli board, usually praised for maintaining a certain level of professionalism, was embarrassed during the recent Emad Meteb transfer saga after showing uncommon readiness to go over the line. Ahli's dire need for a striker prompted the club to hold incessant talks to convince Meteb to stay, even after he had signed a contract with Standard Liege. Perhaps Meteb's famous quote saying 'Ahli couldn't believe I'm gone' reflects a state of sheer desperation from the African titans. -Finally, it's the story of the summer in Egypt; Moatasem Salem's future…starring the Ismaili board. After he launched a public attack on the board for not allowing his move to Ahli, Salem was promised 'severe sanctions' by his club. He was expectedly suspended from the season's opener with JS Kabylie, who won the Champions League tie 1-0 in Ismailia. However, three days before the crucial clash with Ahli, the 'severe punishment' was limited to the Kabylie game as Salem was granted a reprieve by Ismaili. This is apart from the shock u-turn Ismaili had made after agreeing terms with Ahli over Salem's sale, before backing down because there was no need for the cash-in following the transfer window closure! Club boards think they might gain the services of their stars by becoming extravagantly lenient at times. But they disregard other losses varying from negative effects on the team to further setbacks that certainly hinder the progress of Egyptian football in the long run. I can't remember when was the last time a 'rule' had been effectively applied on one of the many Egyptian players who cross the line.
