CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian Premier League club Al-Masry dismissed coach Hossam Hassan and his football director twin, Ibrahim, on Saturday, alleging they insulted the club’s board in front of the players during halftime at a match last week.
Hossam was one of the greatest players in the history of the Egyptian game, scoring a record 83 goals in 176 appearances for his country and winning three African Nations Cup titles.
The 56-year-old played at the same club as his brother for much of his 19-year career and they have reprised the double act as coaches since hanging up their boots, including four previous stints at Al-Masry.
The Port Said club said the twins had committed “unusual, unacceptable and unjustified transgressions” during a 3-1 loss to Aswan on Wednesday, which left Al-Masry without a win in four matches and eighth in the league.
“They insulted all board members in front of the players during the half-time break of the Aswan match,” the club said in a statement. “The insults led some of the players to ask to terminate their contracts.”
Al-Masry also said players had also complained of “continuous insults and mistreatment” since the Hassans took over last December and imposed an undisclosed fine on the pair.
Hossam, a former coach of Zamalek and Jordan national team, made no comment on his dismissal.
Al-Masry, who appointed Mimi Abdelrazek as caretaker coach, has reached the semi-finals of the League Cup and will play in the first round proper of the Egypt Cup this week.
(Reporting by Osama Khairy and Ahmed Mostafa; Editing by Nick Mulvenney and Mike Harrison)
