Debt, Disputes, and Deadlines: Inside Zamalek's 2.5B Pound Crisis
23 November 2025
Debt, Disputes, and a New Reality
Hesham Nasr, the vice chairman of Zamalek, revealed new details about the formidable challenges facing the club, the mounting liabilities, and the controversy surrounding the land in 6 October City.
Nasr noted that the current reality is vastly different from pre election expectations, stressing that the focus remains on internal work rather than media glare.
He disclosed that the club's debt stands at roughly 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds and warned that the path forward will require hard work, not headlines.
Nasr also suggested that a forthcoming development potentially the creation of a football company could be a positive surprise for supporters, even as the crisis deepens.
The 6 October Land Dilemma and the Road Ahead
On the land issue Nasr outlined two main explanations behind the decision to withdraw the project: an official claim that Zamalek sought a four year extension which Nasr said never happened and if it did only applied to the investment portion, and a separate legal complaint from Mortada Mansour and others about alleged public funds waste.
He argued that the withdrawal threatens the club s stability and its future assets, saying he possesses documents proving the club's position while recognizing the urgency to resolve the matter legally and administratively before the situation worsens, especially given the impact on the football squad.
The situation has sparked a nationwide conversation with the Save Zamalek hashtag trending as fans call for leadership intervention and protection of the club from collapse.
There are references to fans rallying across provinces, as well as statements by Shikabala, the club s former star, who highlighted Zamalek s role as a cornerstone of Egypt s soft power and urged support for the club as a national symbol.
The article closes by asking whether the current administration can rescue the club from its deepest crisis in modern history or whether debt and administrative confusion will keep threatening its future.
