(Reuters) – Five-time African champions Zamalek suffered another blow in a chaotic season as a local administrative court in Egypt ordered the removal of club president Mortada Mansour, days after the team appointed Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
A local administrative court in Cairo ordered on Sunday to exclude Mansour from his post, as he has just served a one-month prison sentence over a defamation case against Al-Ahly president Mahmoud El Khatib. Mansour can appeal the ruling.
Mansour told his YouTube channel, which has more than half a million followers, “I will not talk about the ruling now because judgment is the title of truth.”
“No hair in my head shook for a very simple reason. I came to serve public, and the (club’s) general assembly brought me here… and no one can remove me except the general assembly,” added the 70-year-old.
Mansour had previously threatened to ban a group of supporters after they arranged themselves in the shape of a giant “angry face” emoji in an eye-catching protest during an African Champions League match against Sudan’s Al-Merreikh.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Youth and Sports told Egyptian’s Sada Al-Balad channel that it is expected the ministry will receive the executive form of the ruling, and implement it on Tuesday, as Monday is a public holiday.
He said it is not clear if Mansour can enter the club’s presidency elections in the future.
Zamalek parted ways with Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira last month for the second time this season, after being knocked out of group stage in the African Champions League, then fired all of their interim coaching staff after another local defeat left them way behind in the title race.
Zamalek are fourth in the Egyptian Premier League on 39 points from 23 matches, 11 points behind leaders Al-Ahly who have played 20 games.
(Reporting by Osama Khairy, Additional reporting by Taha Mohamed and Mohamed Sadek; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
