Former Egypt star Ahmed Hossam Mido has released an official statement after the Supreme Council for Media Regulation decided to suspend him from media appearances and refer him for investigation.
The decision followed comments he made on a podcast with journalist Abu Al-Maati Zaki, where he spoke about former national team coach Hassan Shehata seeking help from religious sheikhs during Egypt’s AFCON golden era between 2006 and 2010.
Mido said in his statement: “Over the past few days, I’ve noticed attempts to distort some of the statements I made to journalist Abu Al-Maati Zaki, and to take them out of their true context.”
He stressed that he never intended to undermine the national team’s achievements, adding: “I categorically affirm that I did not intend in any way to belittle the Egyptian national team, question its achievements, or suggest that any victories were achieved through non-sporting means.”
He continued: “Just thinking about this meaning is illogical, especially since I was one of the members of the system that participated in achieving championships for the national team, and I was and still am proud to wear the Egyptian national team jersey and represent it.”
Mido explained that his remarks came in a broader social and cultural context, referring to personal beliefs held by some people within the sports community, similar to any other society, and were not meant in any way to diminish the Pharaohs’ achievements.
His statement comes amid intense debate over his earlier podcast comments and their interpretation, as well as the appropriate limits for discussing historic national-team successes in the media.
