The dismissal of Hossam Hassan from coaching the “Pharaohs” raises mixed opinions in the Egyptian street

As soon as the Egyptian Football Association announced the dismissal of Hossam Hassan, the coach of the “Pharaohs” team, from his position, and the assignment of the task to coach Ali Maher, the sports street witnessed a sharp difference in opinions about the decision, and questions were raised that reached Parliament about the real reasons for the dismissal.

The Football Association, in an official statement on Saturday evening, explained its decision by saying that “the interest of the first national team is our top priority,” and that “preserving the stability of the national team represents a top priority that cannot be tolerated.” He added: “After studying all the circumstances and events witnessed in the past period, and the resulting repercussions and negative impact on the positive image and stability of our national team, the Board of Directors decided, within the framework of its responsibility, to thank Hossam Hassan and his technical and administrative staff based on the terms of the contract.”

The last days have witnessed a legal escalation in the personal crisis existing between Hossam Hassan and his ex-wife, Dan Adam, after it was announced that legal measures had been taken against her, against the backdrop of accusations related to forgery and polyandry. Against this background, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation in Egypt decided to prevent Hossam Hassan from appearing on all media outlets. Before that, Hassan faced accusations of “mishandling the stars,” most notably the national team’s captain, Mohamed Salah, and goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shenawy.

With the publication of the dismissal statement, social media platforms turned into a gathering arena for supporters and opponents of the dismissal decision. The movement opposing the decision was based on the principle that the evaluation should have been technical and not based on the coach’s personal crises, considering that he was “the first technical director to be replaced for non-technical reasons,” stressing that these errors, whatever their degree, are not a criterion for canceling sporting successes.

Hossam Hassan led the “Pharaohs” to reach the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, in an unprecedented achievement, and before that he reached the semi-finals of the 2026 African Cup of Nations. These are the results that bloggers saw as making the dismissal a “clear injustice,” and a step on the part of Football Association officials that will set Egyptian football back, refusing to dismiss a coach who succeeded in restoring the team’s fighting spirit.

In complete contrast, the movement supporting the dismissal decision called it “a logical end to a path whose owner mismanaged his personal life,” stressing that values ​​and public discipline are inseparable from sporting results. Some explained that the coach represents a face for his country, and his behavior and family life cannot be separated from his senior position.

In addition, Hossam Hassan’s dismissal reached the Egyptian Parliament after a member of the House of Representatives, Mohamed Tolba, submitted a briefing request, demanding “clarification of the technical and administrative motives on which the federation relied in making this decision.” A few weeks ago, the Egyptian Football Association renewed its contract with Hossam Hassan to lead the Egyptian national team until 2030.

Sports critic Muhammad Al-Barami believes that Hossam Hassan’s dismissal is not due to the results, but rather a personal reason, which is unusual. He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Hossam achieved positive results, but his personal life and its influences contributed to the decline of his popularity.” Sports critic Rania Abdel Wahab believes that the public’s reaction has a clear difference, stressing that the coach’s experience was influential despite the mistakes.

On Saturday, the Egyptian Football Association ended Hossam Hassan’s career as head of the coaching staff of the first team, a few months after he led the “Pharaohs” to the round of sixteen in the 2026 World Cup. According to Egyptian press reports, the decision to leave Hossam Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan had been taken within the Federation since Thursday, November 5 (November).

This development brought to light the tense relationship between Hossam Hassan and Mohamed Salah. Mustafa Abu Zahra, a member of the Federation’s Board of Directors, denied that Salah had any role in making the decision, stressing that choosing the technical staff is the responsibility of the Board of Directors alone. The reasons for the dismissal, according to Egyptian coverage, go beyond the boundaries of the relationship between the coach and the team captain, and include a series of crises during recent weeks.

Abu Zahra revealed that Al-Ittihad will be committed to paying Hossam Hassan’s dues, including any penal conditions stipulated in the contract. As for Ali Maher, he faces a quick test with the approaching matches against Malawi on November 13 and 17, as part of the qualifiers for the 2027 African Cup of Nations.