Al Ahly to file media complaint against Khaled El Ghandour over Ammouta remarks

Al Ahly’s board has decided to submit an official complaint to Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation over comments made by Khaled El Ghandour about the club’s head coach, Hussein Ammouta.

Al Ahly TV reported that the complaint concerns claims made by El Ghandour about Ammouta’s conduct towards Nabil Fekir and Mohamed Elneny during the Moroccan coach’s time in charge of Al Jazira.

The club’s decision was announced after El Ghandour discussed Ammouta in comments that were interpreted as alleging that the coach had behaved disrespectfully towards the two players. The report did not provide further details about the specific remarks or the club’s complaint.

El Ghandour later apologised to Ammouta on his official social media account.

“I apologise to Hussein Ammouta if my words were understood in the wrong way or caused any offence to him. Of course, he is a great coach, and I love the Moroccan people. I wish Al Ahly every success against Barcelona,” El Ghandour wrote.

Despite the apology, Al Ahly is proceeding with its complaint to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, according to the club’s television channel.

Ammouta is preparing Al Ahly for the new Egyptian Premier League season and has overseen the team’s preparations in Spain. Al Ahly’s delegation is due to return from Barcelona on Thursday morning after completing its pre-season training camp.

The club will begin its league campaign against Eastern Company and ENPPI, while its final match of the first half of the season will be against Wadi Degla.

Al Ahly will play 13 of its 19 matches in the opening phase of the competition at Cairo International Stadium.

The Egyptian Premier League season is scheduled to begin on 21 August, with the first half of the campaign concluding on 20 February.

The complaint adds to the ongoing fallout from the comments surrounding Ammouta, who previously managed Al Jazira. Fekir and Elneny were among the players associated with the claims referred to by El Ghandour.

Al Ahly’s immediate focus, however, is completing its return from Spain and finalising preparations for the opening league fixtures. The club will face Barcelona as part of the programme mentioned in El Ghandour’s apology before turning its attention to the domestic competition.