Zamalek boss Hassan Shehata and his crew were present at Ahli training on Thursday morning, in what was described by The Master as a message to eliminate football fanaticism. In a rare move between the arch-rivals, Shehata went to offer his condolences to Ahli after the league champions were rocked by the death of 77 supporters in Port-Said earlier this month. The arrival of the former Egypt coach forced Ahli boss Manuel Jose to stop training and greet the visiting contingent, which also included Zamalek skipper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed. Important message “I came to offer my condolences to Ahli players and staff after the unimaginable incident in Port-Said,” Shehata told Ahli's website. “It is an important message to all Egyptian fans stressing that fanaticism and tension between clubs must be eliminated as the relationship between rival players and managers is excellent. “I hope our visit improves the morale of Ahli players and I am looking forward to exchanging more visits with the Ahli management and players in the future.” Not uncommon In response to the visit, Ahli boss Jose was grateful to Shehata and his staff as he indicated that he is not surprised with the friendly manner of his Zamalek counterpart. “I thank Shehata for his move and for backing our players that way,” the Portuguese said. “I think it is not uncommon from Shehata who is a classy manager both technically and morally.” Advantage Ahli football director Sayed Abdul-Hafiz echoed Jose's sentiments by thanking Shehata and hoping that the visit would bear fruit. “Shehata has always been a very respectful person,” the former Egypt midfielder said. “I will never forget that he called me while we were in the dressing room at the Port-Said Stadium that night and that he insisted on calling off the match with Ismaili. “I hope we can take advantage of the good relationship between players and managers to get rid of fanaticism between fans.”
