Zamalek made a shocking decision early on Wednesday, appointing Hassan Shehata as new manager, succeeding Hossam Hassan, who was supposed to get a new contract. "I would like to deeply thank Hossam Hassan for his efforts with the team over the past period," Zamalek chairman Galal Ibrahim told FilGoal.com. "We are looking forward to a long and successful future with Shehata, who proved he is a great coach." Hassan took over in November 2009 and revived Zamalek's competitive form, leading the team to top the league for 15 consecutive weeks before losing out on the title. Shehata parted ways with Egypt in June, after failing to qualify to the 2012 African Cup of Nations. But he remains the most successful manager in Egypt's history as he steered the Pharaohs to winning three successive African titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He also won the Pan-Arab title and was on the brink of reaching the 2010 World Cup but Egypt were defeated by Algeria in a decider.