Former Egypt national team manager, Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria, has opened up about his departure from coaching the Pharaohs following their elimination from the recent Africa Cup of Nations at the hands of the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties.
Speaking in an extensive interview with Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Vitoria revealed that his agreement with Egyptian Football Association officials involved leading the Pharaohs to the 2026 World Cup finals, indicating that despite his exit, his journey with the Egyptian national team was exceptionally enjoyable.
“The Egyptian FA faced immense external pressures to change the coaching staff, despite us losing only one friendly match against Tunisia out of 18.
However, the Egyptian FA suffered from a lack of long-term vision and was affected by the elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations,” Vitoria stated.
He highlighted the Africa Cup of Nations as a highly competitive and intriguing tournament, noting that the Congo team, which eliminated Egypt, has 20 players in European leagues.
Vitoria also expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner of his departure from coaching the Egyptian team, stating that while he had a great relationship with the Egyptian people, the Egyptian FA did not treat him with the respect he deserved, leading him to leave the matter to his legal team.
Reflecting on his experience in Egypt, Vitoria emphasized that living in Cairo was not easy, describing it as a bustling city suffering from heavy traffic and noise pollution.
He revealed that he and his assistants stayed in a hotel near the Egyptian FA headquarters.
He further elaborated that while Egypt has three strong clubs – Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids – with quality players, these players are often treated as stars, making it difficult for them to leave the country for Europe.
Discussing Mohamed Salah’s departure to Europe at the age of 20, Vitoria stated that nobody wants to go through what Salah experienced, emphasizing that people only want to repeat the second part of his professional career.
