Marwan Attia signs Al Ahly extension in under an hour and names Messi clash as proudest game

Marwan Attia says his contract renewal with Al Ahly was completed in less than an hour, with the midfielder describing his pride at remaining with the Egyptian club until 2030.

Al Ahly announced the extension of the 27-year-old’s contract earlier this week. Attia said he felt highly valued by the club after returning from international duty at the World Cup.

“I am extremely happy with the confidence the club officials have shown in my abilities,” Attia said in an interview with Al Ahly. “I felt a great deal of appreciation after returning from representing the national team at the World Cup, and there is certainly nothing better than continuing at Al Ahly.”

He added: “The matter did not take more than one hour. I signed the new contract afterwards and found complete appreciation and support from Al Ahly, which naturally makes me extremely happy.”

Attia said supporters now consider him one of the club’s own players, a status he regards as both an honour and an added responsibility.

“Many fans say that I have become one of the club’s sons, and that is a great honour,” he said. “At the same time, it is an even greater responsibility. There is no player who does not wish to belong to Al Ahly.”

The midfielder explained that the club’s interest in extending his deal was made clear as soon as he returned from the World Cup.

“When I came back from the World Cup, the club officials immediately spoke to me about their desire to extend my contract, in recognition of what I had provided during the previous period,” he said. “That made me feel my value within the club very strongly.”

Attia joined Al Ahly determined to earn a significant role both on and off the pitch. He said achieving that ambition fulfilled a childhood dream and allowed him to become part of a club he described as “this great institution”.

He also paid tribute to the team he joined, saying it represented a new golden generation that had enjoyed major success on the international stage.

“With Marcel Koller, we won five trophies in one season with a perfect record, as well as putting together an unprecedented run of consecutive victories,” Attia said. “I am honoured to belong to this generation. Al Ahly has always been accustomed to signing the best names.”

‘The shirt is heavy’

Attia said playing for Al Ahly carried significant pressure because of the expectations attached to the club’s shirt.

“Playing for Al Ahly is a major responsibility and requires an exceptional ability to deal with pressure, because the club’s shirt is ‘heavy’,” he said. “Anyone who wears it must have a strong personality and an outstanding mentality. It requires great concentration at all times, both on and off the pitch.”

He added that joining the club had given him the opportunity to improve, gain experience, win trophies and make history. His time at Al Ahly had also enabled him to play in major competitions, including the Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The match Attia remembers most fondly is Al Ahly’s meeting with Inter Miami at the FIFA Club World Cup, when he was tasked with marking Lionel Messi.

“The match I am most proud of is Al Ahly against Inter Miami in the Club World Cup,” he said. “I was assigned to mark Lionel Messi throughout the game and, thankfully, I produced a good performance. During that match, we challenged each other nine times on the pitch and I won the ball from him seven times.”

Attia also highlighted Al Ahly’s match against Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, when he won the player-of-the-match award. He said he was equally proud of the CAF Champions League final in which Al Ahly defeated Moroccan side Wydad at their home ground, with Mohamed Abdelmonem scoring the winning goal.

Discussing his goal against Eastern Company ENPPI in the opening match of the league season, Attia said he regularly tries his luck from outside the penalty area.

“I am always keen to shoot from outside the box in many matches,” he said. “Some of those efforts are saved by goalkeepers, while others come back off the post or crossbar. If I had scored those chances, I would now have a large number of goals. In the end, goals are a blessing from God and a reward for the efforts of all my team-mates on the pitch.”

Attia said his entire focus remained on football and on representing Al Ahly properly. He described the club’s discipline as something he had heard about before joining and found to be extremely strict in practice, with every aspect of training, matches and camps carefully managed.

He also said players’ conduct on and off the pitch had to meet the club’s standards.

“Last season was not the best, and we promise our supporters that we will give everything during the current campaign,” Attia said.

Personally, he added: “The lion may fall ill, but it does not die,” and “Al Ahly’s return will be stronger than ever.”

He said the squad had been strengthened by the arrival of talented players while experienced members had remained, and that the coaching staff was working continuously to secure the best possible results.

“Al Ahly’s fans are the main driving force behind every success,” Attia said. “Their support gives everyone confidence, passion and an even greater sense of responsibility. Everyone will give everything they can to make the supporters happy and win every trophy.”