Final Hurdle: Danish Coach Jess Thorup Poised to Lead Egypt's Al Ahly

The Final Step Before Thorup Takes the Helm

Al Ahly is moving closer to finalizing a deal to appoint Danish coach Jess Thorup as the next head coach of the club, stepping into the shoes of the Spaniard Jose Ribeiro. The club has been negotiating since September, focusing on Thorup's aggressive, high-pressing style and offensive setup as the blueprint for the Red Devils’ next chapter.

Earlier, Al Ahly had brought in Ribeiro in June after winning the Egyptian Premier League under coach Emad El Nahhas, but the Spaniard left at the end of August following a 2-0 defeat to Pyramids. The decision opened the door for a longer-term plan and a new identity on the touchline.

Emad El Nahhas temporarily managed the team, securing four straight wins against Ceramica Cleopatra, Haras El Hodoud, Zamalek and Kahraba Ismailia after a draw with Enppi. Those results helped stabilize the club during the transition and kept the focus on the bigger project ahead.

In an official statement, Mahmoud El-Khatib, the club president, outlined discussions with the planning committee led by Mokhtar Mokhtar and Zakaria Nasif, with Sporting Director Mohamed Youssef in attendance. The statement underlined the seriousness of the talks and the importance of aligning the coaching profile with the club’s broader strategic vision.

The club affirmed that the committee evaluated the foreign candidates comprehensively and cross-checked the plan with the sporting director’s vision and the technical requirements, while stressing that a final decision would be made in the hours to come. The update signaled a concerted effort to move quickly without compromising due process.

Sources said El-Khatib is combing through several details ahead of a formal decision within a short timeframe. The proceedings indicate that the leadership is intent on sealing the agreement as soon as possible, with the groundwork laid for a seamless handover should Thorup be chosen.

Negotiations have progressed, with Osama Hilal, acting head of contracts, already in Denmark, while Thorup remains the leading option. A final agreement is near, and a Croatian candidate is also in the mix among other possibilities, illustrating a thorough, multi-tracked search process.

Who is Jess Thorup? The 55-year-old former striker built his reputation on Danish soil with clubs such as Odense BK and Esbjerg fB, and later worked in Norway, Austria and Germany. After retiring in 2007, he moved into coaching, starting as an assistant at Esbjerg before taking a caretaker role in 2008.

Thorup’s breakthrough came with Esbjerg from 2011 to 2013, a period that included more than 80 matches and a Danish Cup triumph in 2013. He then led Denmark’s under-20 national team from 2013 to 2015, helping to identify talents who later starred for the senior side, including Andreas Christensen and other players who feature for Denmark today.

The domestic milestone came with Midtjylland from 2015 to 2018, where he secured the Danish league title—the kind of success that has kept his name in the conversation for top clubs across Europe. He later coached abroad with Gent, Ghent and Copenhagen, before taking Augsburg in Germany from 2023 to 2025, where he helped steer the team to respectable finishes in the Bundesliga, including an 11th-place finish in his first season and 12th the following year.

Thorup favors an attacking approach and a high-pressing game on the wings, a philosophy that the planning committee believes fits Al Ahly’s ambitions for the coming seasons. If appointed, he would become the first Danish manager in the club’s history, a landmark given Al Ahly’s diverse past and the array of coaches it has employed—from the Netherlands, Portugal, France and Uruguay to date.

The club’s recent coaching history includes South Africa’s Pitso Mosimane, Swiss-born René Weiler, Portugal’s Ricardo Soares, and Marcel Koller, who led the club to Africa’s premier competition success before leaving in April. With talks at an advanced stage, the final details still need ironed out, and the Red Devils could soon unveil a Danish flavor in the dugout.

Humor break: If Thorup signs, expect Al Ahly’s press conferences to be so well-pressed that even the coffee will be offside. Punchline two: Denmark’s tactics meet Cairo’s heat—should be a match made in the wings, with extra emphasis on the “wing” part!