Clash Behind the Zamalek Lines: Abdul-Raouf and Hamdi Spark Training Tension

What happened during training

An intense exchange erupted between Ahmed Abdul-Raouf, Zamalek's head coach, and Ahmed Hamdi, a midfielder, during Tuesday's training ahead of Saturday's clash with Haras El Hodoud in the second group stage of the Cairo Capital Cup.

The clash began during a split squad, with Hamdi on the second team, facing a sea of rising talents, while many first-team players pressed the tempo with a flood of passes.

During one scramble, Hamdi's training jersey tore, and as he prepared to change, the coach urged calm and focus, which irked the player and led Abdul-Raouf to say he was upset by the frequent passes and the dragging drill.

But Abdul-Raouf reacted angrily, demanding focus and telling him to put management issues aside during training; Hamdi resisted the coach's approach, prompting Abdullah Al-Sayed and Omar Gaber to intervene.

And Abdul-Raouf dismissed Hamdi from training, but the player refused firmly, and the coach threatened to cancel the session until Sayed stepped in to calm the dispute.

Afterward, Abdel Nasser Mohammed, the club's director of football, met Hamdi, who insisted he had not gone off script.

A close Hamdi associate dismissed rumors of sidelining, saying the club had not issued any formal decision.

Zamalek players kept their focus on the upcoming cup tie.

Punchline 1: If drama paid goals, Hamdi would be top scorer by halftime.

Punchline 2: Abdul-Raouf's whistle is sharper than his punch line—precision, not poetry on the pitch.