Zamalek Sports Director John Edward issued a statement to clarify all the facts within the first football team in the White Castle, and the statement came as follows:
To the great fans of Zamalek Club
It was an unparalleled honor for me to assume responsibility for the sports administration in my home, the Zamalek Club, this edifice that was never just a work station, but rather an affiliation that runs deep in the conscience, and when I accepted the task, my motivation was not prestige or money, but rather I was standing between the prestige of responsibility and the greatness of the challenge, realizing that sincerity alone is not enough unless it is supported by the capabilities that befit the ambitions of this great audience.
I came with realistic dreams and plans based on major promises and guarantees. We were waiting for financial flows that would open future horizons, and we built our strategy on the basis of the availability of resources that would guarantee the stability of the team. However, as ambitious as the storms were, out of the hundreds of millions promised, we found only a few in the implementation arena, which was only enough to fill the registration gaps and register the players, so the sports administration found itself facing a “turbulent sea” with a single oar.
During the past period, I was careful not to appear or make any statements, hoping that the situation would improve within the club, and so that my speech would not affect attempts to find solutions, or cause a state of frustration among Zamalek fans, but, contrary to what was expected, the crises increased and the situation became more complicated, which made silence no longer an appropriate option.
Out of responsibility and respect for the club’s fans, it was necessary to tell them the full truth and explain the difficult reality we have been living inside the club since the first day of assuming responsibility.
As a matter of transparency with the great masses, I present before you the scene in numbers and facts:
First: the financing gap
Since assuming responsibility, the work plan has been built on clear agreements to provide 700 million pounds to be spent on developing the entire football sector, buying players in installments over several years, and paying players’ salaries, with an action plan to develop the youth sector and the strength of coaches through European training courses and internationally accredited certificates, with 400 million pounds being pumped as an urgent payment immediately after the start to support financial stability and enable the sports administration to implement its obligations.
The reality after that was completely different, as that payment was reduced to 200 million pounds. Of the 135 million pounds that arrived, including 40 million pounds “advance” from a developer, 30 million pounds from a businessman, 15 million pounds from player loans, and 50 million pounds from the club’s treasury, it was completely directed to pay some of the players’ overdue dues from last season and end the enrollment and player registration crises, in order to preserve the team’s stability and prevent the crises from worsening.
We were later surprised by the evaporation of the promises on which the plan was based, and the situation practically turned into a “manage yourself” policy, which put the team facing serious financial challenges that were not included in the original calculations, so some club officials contributed to arranging part of the funds as a temporary solution, but that was not enough to confront the financial crises.
Second: The promises of lovers and the actual reality, as we received promises from one of the lovers of support amounting to 350 million pounds, amounts that were sufficient to create a complete balance in cash flows and eliminate the deficit completely, but what actually arrived did not exceed 30 million pounds.
From day one, I worked as a volunteer without any compensation. This was not a favor, but rather a firm belief that serving this entity is an honor. I did not just work, but I contributed to the best of my ability and potential in attempts to contribute to solving the financial crisis, within the framework of an integrated project extending for three years. I had personally requested the club’s management to stipulate in my contract my commitment to providing a sum of money within 3 years as part of my contribution to building a real and sustainable project for the club, and we have already succeeded in achieving 30%. From this number in just six months, we did it for love in Zamalek.
But today we stand before a very harsh reality; Options such as continuing non-fulfillment of obligations towards the team, contentment with stopping registration, and neglecting the team’s pillars are unacceptable solutions, rejected by the logic of competition and rejected by the dignity and history of the Zamalek club.
How can we fight battles without weapons? How can we ask for patience from players and the technical, medical and administrative staff who presented the most wonderful examples of commitment, sacrifice and professionalism despite the grave difficulties, and despite failure in more than one situation to adhere to the promises made to them?
I put these facts in full before the fans of Zamalek Club, out of respect for your awareness, and a firm belief in your inherent right to knowledge. From this standpoint, I extend a frank and clear invitation to all officials, not just the club’s board of directors:
Zamalek today is in need of urgent, real, and effective solutions. There is no longer room for more deferred promises or temporary palliatives. Providing the necessary resources and support is no longer an option, but rather an absolute necessity to protect the club’s entity and maintain its competitiveness.
Despite the football team’s steadfastness so far in light of these difficult circumstances, which we explain with complete transparency, the continuation of the situation without a radical solution threatens a complete collapse within a few days, in light of the swelling debts and the team’s financial obligations being pursued from every direction.
Statement of John Edward1
Statement of John Edward2