Al-Ahly imposes salary cuts as club seeks turnaround before Espérance showdown

Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC have announced sweeping disciplinary measures against their first-team squad, including significant salary reductions, as the club attempts to address a prolonged period of instability ahead of a crucial CAF Champions League quarter-final meeting with Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

The club confirmed that players will face a 30% reduction in their salaries, alongside an additional deduction worth 25% of their contract value.

The sanctions will remain in place until the team’s situation in both the domestic league and continental competition becomes clearer.

Al-Ahly’s decision follows months of disappointing performances and mounting pressure within the Cairo-based club.

Results on the pitch have failed to match expectations, leaving the management concerned about the direction of the team during a critical stage of the season.

The difficulties have not been confined to the men’s first team. Various sections of the club have been affected by the downturn, including the women’s side.

In a rescheduled match from the 15th round of the league, the women’s team suffered a defeat to El Gaish, dropping valuable points in the race for the title.

With tensions rising, the club’s leadership said the financial sanctions were part of broader efforts to restore discipline and accountability among players and staff.

In a statement outlining the next steps, the club also announced a wide-ranging internal evaluation across the football department.

“Vice-President Yassin Mansour and board member Sayed Abdel Hafeez have initiated an urgent assessment of all employees in the football sector, its departments, its management and its technical, administrative and medical staff, as well as a restructuring of the sector at the level of the first team, youth, women’s football and academies, in line with the ambitions of the club and its supporters for the next stage.”

The review is expected to examine the organisation of the football structure at multiple levels, including the first team, youth system, women’s football programme and academies.

Attention is also turning to the club’s upcoming continental fixture against Espérance.

The two sides are due to meet in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final next week.

In preparation for the tie, Al-Ahly have made logistical adjustments to the team’s travel schedule in order to give the coaching staff additional time to prepare.

“The date of the first team’s trip to Tunisia to face Espérance in the first leg of the African Champions League quarter-finals has been brought forward: the delegation will depart from Cairo airport on Thursday instead of Friday, in order to give the coaching staff the opportunity to prepare for this highly anticipated match,” the statement concluded.

The measures underline the seriousness with which Al-Ahly’s leadership views the current situation as the club seeks to regain stability and refocus ahead of one of the most important matches of its season.