In an interview on “Ya Masa Al-Anwar” broadcasted on MBC Egypt, El-Hadary remarked, “Club coaches are not suitable to manage national teams, and vice versa, national team coaches are not suitable for clubs.”
Elaborating further, El-Hadary specifically criticized Hossam Hassan’s coaching record, stating, “Hossam Hassan has managed clubs that were fighting relegation and has not won any championships with Zamalek.”
He continued, expressing his preference for clarity in addressing football figures, saying, “I don’t like the term ‘Captain Hossam’ or ‘Captain Ibrahim.’ I will only speak about Hossam Hassan.
In Egypt, we frequently use these titles, but it should be clear that only one person, the head coach, announces the squad of the Egyptian national team.
There’s no such thing as ‘Captain Hossam’ or ‘Captain Ibrahim.’ What I am saying might upset people, but it doesn’t matter to me. My name is Essam El-Hadary, and it doesn’t matter to me.”
The veteran goalkeeper emphasized his opposition to the idea of a club coach taking over the national team, insisting that both Al Ahly and Zamalek, Egypt’s most prominent clubs, as well as the national team itself, require a foreign manager.
Reflecting on Egypt’s past experiences with local managers, El-Hadary pointed out that only Hassan Shehata and Mahmoud El-Gohary were successful in their tenures with the national team, implying that similar success has been elusive since their departures.
