Abdallah El Said weighs retirement amid Zamalek dispute, says agent

Abdallah El Said is considering ending his playing career altogether after formally asking to terminate his contract with Zamalek, according to his agent Mohamed Abdel-Hady.

The player has requested that his agreement with the Egyptian club be ended by mutual consent, while also asking for his outstanding financial dues to be rescheduled. Zamalek’s board has agreed to the request, according to Abdel-Hady.

The dispute centres on what El Said believes has been poor treatment by the club’s board, both personally and through its handling of the issue in the media.

Writing on Facebook, Abdel-Hady said: “Abdallah El Said officially requested the termination of his contract with Zamalek because of what he sees as mistreatment by the club’s board, whether on the moral or media level.”

The agent said El Said felt that his contribution had not been properly valued and that public discussion of the situation had created an inaccurate impression of events.

“He believes there is a lack of appreciation for what he has provided, in addition to directing public opinion in ways that do not reflect what is really happening,” Abdel-Hady added.

“This led him to seriously consider ending his time with Zamalek.”

El Said’s request comes amid reports that he could leave the club to join another side. However, his representative rejected those reports and said there had been no discussions with any other club.

“As for the news circulating about his departure to sign for another club, these reports are like the other stories intended to damage his image in front of the supporters,” Abdel-Hady said.

“They have no basis in truth, and no meeting or negotiations have taken place with any club, either inside Egypt or abroad.”

The agent also confirmed that El Said was now thinking about retirement, rather than simply seeking a move away from Zamalek.

“Abdallah El Said is currently considering making the decision to end his football career completely through Zamalek,” Abdel-Hady said.

The immediate issue is therefore not only whether El Said will remain at the club, but whether his departure from Zamalek could mark the end of his career. His request for a mutually agreed termination and a schedule for settling his overdue payments has already been accepted by the club’s board, while his agent insists that claims of negotiations elsewhere are untrue.

Abdel-Hady’s statements present the situation as a disagreement between the player and Zamalek over recognition, treatment and public messaging, rather than as the result of an approach from another club. El Said’s future will now depend on the conclusion of discussions over his contract and outstanding financial commitments, as well as on whether he decides to continue playing or retire through Zamalek.