New era for Al Ahly begins
Mahmoud El Khatib, the Ahly president and the overseer of the club’s football sector, hosted a lengthy meeting with Danish head coach Jess Thorup after Thorup officially signed to lead the first team for two and a half years.
The session, held at the club’s headquarters, covered the club’s working philosophy, ambitions, and the organizational and technical files awaiting the new boss.
Thorup told the club’s official site that he left with a strong impression, noting that the president gave him a broad tour of Ahly’s history, its trophies, its enormous support, and the pressures that accompany coaching here.
He added that Ahly’s hunger for victory aligns with his own ambition, and that he is here to chase titles.
A clear road map A club source described the talk as establishing a clear working plan, with a single contact point: Walid Salah El Din, the newly appointed football director, who will bridge the technical staff, the planning committee, and the sporting director.
The planning committee, led by Mokhtar Mokhtar and including Zakaria Nasif, with Mohamed Youssef as sporting director, will coordinate all files while Thorup remains the primary decision-maker on the pitch.
El Khatib emphasized that the club would provide all technical and logistical support to help the coach achieve titles and sustained success.
The meeting also touched on the transfer file, as El Khatib told Thorup that the upcoming winter window would be entirely his responsibility and asked for a preview of the candidates developed so far.
The source added that El Khatib gave Thorup ample time to assess the squad through the winter period, including after the Egyptian Super Cup in the UAE, to identify positions needing reinforcement and players who might depart, in coordination with the planning committee.
Separately, Thorup held another round of talks with Walid Salah El Din and Adel Mustafa, the assistant coach, to discuss all aspects of the squad for the upcoming phase.
During that meeting, Adel Mustafa shared his view on the lineup that will travel to Rwanda to face Eagle Nwar in the CAF Champions League’s first leg.
The coach also received a detailed medical report on injuries and expected return dates, underscoring the importance of restoring full fitness before continental matches.
Preparation for the Burundi trip The squad would fly to Burundi on a private plane for the first leg.
Eagle Nwar advanced by eliminating Djibouti’s Baste Telekome in the qualifiers, and Ahly aims for a strong start on its African journey toward a record-extending 12th title.
The staff awaits the return of Egyptian internationals and other foreign players including Mohammed Ali Ben Ramadan, Aliou Diang, Ashraf Ben Sharqi, and Jeniek Gardishar.
Message to the fans Thorup told Ahly’s fans: “I’m here now, and I can’t wait to see you all; together we will achieve many wonderful results.” He added that he is honored to coach a club with this history and vowed to develop players, preserve past achievements, and chase more titles, aware of the upcoming challenges.
The club officially confirmed Thorup’s signing for two and a half years at a monthly fee of 250,000 euros for him and his five staff members—an assistant coach, a fitness coach, a goalkeeping coach, and an analyst.
Adel Mustafa will join the staff as the Egyptian liaison within the foreign setup.
In contrast, interim coach Emad Al-Hanoush declined the offer to become an assistant technical director for the youth sector, thanking the board for the trust shown during his interim spell.
Punchlines coming up If Thorup can translate tactics into trophies, the trophy cabinet might finally pick up the phone and call home a little less often.
And if winning is a crime, Ahly just handed Thorup a life sentence—with a very generous appeal to fans everywhere.
