Folding his arms and temporary quelling his fiery temper, controversial lawyer Mortada Mansour appeared as confident as ever after winning an appeal against the validity of Zamalek's board elections on Wednesday. A host of reporters jostled to interview Mansour after the court of law accepted his appeal against the results of last year's elections, which businessman Mamdouh Abbas won after beating off competition from the former Zamalek chairman. The court said that some votes had been rigged to favor Mansour's bitter foe Abbas after the former had vowed to put an end to his short and 'illegitimate' tenure in office. President Abbas and his entire board will be disbanded accordingly. An interim board will be in charge of the club until new elections are held. "God's will prevailed today, justice has been done," Mansour, who often says that he succeeds in his consistent legal battles because God stands by him, told reporters after the verdict was announced. "It was a tough case because Abbas used all his powerful tools to win but God is stronger than all that. "I have to thank this respectable court, which usually stands up against any kind of injustice. I won 25 lawsuits here," the 58-year-old added in a confident tone. In a carbon copy of many of his previous battles with his rivals, the determined and persistent Mansour regained his balance just when everybody thought he would no longer be able outwit his opponents. Abbas said Zamalek were finally edging towards stability after several years of administrative problems, which he believed was caused by Mansour, when he the won the elections in May last year. However, Mansour was waiting in the wings to validate his claims that Abbas unfairly occupied Zamalek's prestigious presidential seat, which has been the subject of fierce battles during the past six years. The hugely outspoken figure, who was sent to prison for insulting Egyptian chief justice Sayed Nofal in 2007, famously branded himself 'the knight who never falls off his horse' few years ago. Such comments are usually met with sarcasm but Mansour lived up to his own expectations once again. 'Lifted on shoulders' "I said before that Abbas rigged the votes but the media personnel did not believe me. They accused me of inventing accusations every time I lose in the elections," Mansour, who was sacked as Zamalek president by the National Sports Council in 2006, said.
Mansour: Egyptian people support me "But the Egyptian people believed me. They are the ones who supported and voted for me many times before but were let down by the counterfeiting operations which denied me deserved victories. "I have just dreamt that Zamalek fans lifted me up on their shoulders following the court ruling." The ruling is seen as a personal victory for Mansour and reward for his relentless efforts to pursue what he regards as his rights but it might plunge Zamalek into turmoil. The Cairo giants are already struggling for form after making a poor start to their Egyptian Premier League campaign to cast doubts over their ability to win the competition for the first time since 2004. They lie ninth in the 16-team league table with five points from four games, having lost against ENPPI and drew with Harras Hodoud and Gouna. Administrative instability could further affect their results and more importantly, prompt some key players to consider their future. Playmaker Shikabala snubbed a move to Belgian giants Anderlecht and penned a new contract with Zamalek but he may contemplate an exit now, given his frosty relationship with Mansour. Central defender Mahmoud Fathallah, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, is also linked with a move to Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahli, who said they would be interested in signing him if he was available. "We need stability to resolve some issues within the club. We don't want to be distracted by what happened," Zamalek coach Hossam Hassan told FilGoal.com. "Shikabala's new contract is yet to be registered with the Egyptian FA for instance. "We also want to extend the deals of (defenders) Hani Saied, Mahmoud Fathallah and (midfielder) Hassan Mostafa." Mansour said he would hold a news conference on Sunday to reveal whether he would stand for the upcoming elections. "I may become the new president or not, but it will be a new era for Zamalek anyway," he added. Abbas also said that Zamalek were beginning a new era when he became president but it turned out to be an unsuccessful one. What does the future hold for Zamalek? This question can primarily be answered by Mansour.
