Death Hoax Halted: Soliman Fires Back After Police's Narrow Loss to Erbil
24 October 2025
After the Erbil defeat: rumors and responses
The Egyptian coach Momen Soliman, manager of the Iraqi Police, addressed rumors circulating after his team's 1-0 defeat to Erbil, rumors that suggested he had died from a heart attack.
Police suffered their first defeat of the season in the Iraqi Premier League away to Erbil, with an Uzbek scorer Shirzod Timirov in the 25th minute, at Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium, in the fifth round.
The loss came days after Police were beaten 4-1 by Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad in the West Asia Champions League, marking the team's second straight setback across competitions.
Police also dropped to nine points, placing them fourth in the table after suffering their first league defeat of the season.
Soliman, now 51, appeared visibly emotional after a ball cleared by his teammate Manaf Younes sparked rumors of a heart problem spreading on social media after the match.
The Egyptian coach responded via his official Facebook page, stating that the rumor is baseless, and that he was at the airport on his way to Baghdad, thanking everyone for their concern.
Soliman faced wide criticism from fans and media as Police have seen a dip in results domestically and in Asia.
Soliman has a long coaching career, having played for Zamalek as a player, then moving into management with clubs such as Al Nasr, Production, and Asyouty Sport, and he briefly led Zamalek in 2016, winning the Egypt Cup and reaching the CAF Champions League final.
He later coached Smouha, Misr El Makasa, Petrojet, and Egypt's under-17 national team, before a coaching spell in Iraq with Police from 2021 to 2023, then Al Quwa Al Jawiya, then Al Ittihad Libyan, then Al Ahly Benghazi, before returning to Police.
Erbil coach Bassam Qasim praised his players after the win, noting the encounter was thrilling and closely contested in front of a large crowd.
Qasim also said he did not expect such good results this season, noting that observers had anticipated a drop for Erbil, given their late preseason preparations. He added that Erbil thrives in tough conditions and challenges, and credited the squad's collective effort and faith in God for the league lead.
He also suggested some winter reinforcements might help, given some positional shortages due to injuries, and pledged to set priorities during the upcoming break, as he praised Police as a seasoned, tough opponent with a clear pressing style.
Police lie in fourth with 9 points and have a pending match against Al-Zawraa, while Al Quwa Al-Jawiya sits fifth on goal difference after five rounds.
Remaining fixtures for the fifth round include Saturday matches: Karmah versus Al-Kahraba, Norouz versus Duhok, Al Quwa Al Jawiya versus Al Ghraf.
On Sunday four games are scheduled: Diyala versus Al-Minaa, Naft versus Amanat Baghdad, Student versus Al-Najaf, Zakho versus Mosul. The round closes next Monday with Naft Misan against Al-Karkh and Al-Qasim against Al-Zawraa.
Punchline 1: If rumors aged this fast, the transfer window would need its own rumor window just to keep up with the gossip on social media.
Punchline 2: Soliman might wear a headset labeled not for drama, but for diplomacy—because in football, the real headliners are the calm comments after the storm.
