Zamalek SC

For the basketball team, see Zamalek (basketball club).
Zamalek SC
Full name Zamalek Sporting Club
Nickname(s) (White Knight)
(The Royal Team)
(Club of Century)[1] [2]
Founded 5 January 1911
Ground Cairo International Stadium
Capacity 74,100
Chairman Mortada Mansour
Manager Jesualdo Ferreira
League Egyptian Premier League
2013–14 1st (Group 2)
3rd (Championship Playoff)
Website Club home page

Zamalek Sporting Club (Arabic: نادي الزمالك للألعاب الرياضية‎), is an Egyptian sporting club based in Meet Okba, Giza, Egypt that plays in the Egyptian Premier League. Founded in 1911 as Qasr El-Neel Club and was first headed by Belgian lawyer George Marzbach . The name was changed to El-Mokhtalat Club in the year 1913 and was named after to King Farouk Club in referring to the King Farouk in 1940, before finally settling as Zamalek SC after the 1952 Egyptian revolution.

The club has won 11 Egyptian Premier League titles, 23 Egypt Cup titles, 2 Egyptian Super Cup titles, 5 CAF Champions League titles, 3 CAF Super Cup titles, 1 CAF Cup Winners' Cup title and 2 Afro-Asian Cup titles. They won more CAF trophies than any other African team in the Twentieth century,[3] and IFFHS gave them the title of World Best Club Team for February 2003.[4]

Zamalek do not have their own ground, and play home fixtures at Cairo International Stadium. Their main rivals are fellow tenants at the Cairo International Stadium, Al Ahly, with whom they contest the Cairo Derby.

History

The club started out as Qasr El-Neel Club by a Belgian lawyer, Mr. Merzbach on 5 January 1911. It was the first football clubs in Cairo emerged from its non-English expatriate communities. They formed sports and social clubs each with its own identity. A very important aspect of Zamalek was that it was a club for all people and not for any specific social, economical, or ethnic status. Zamalek started out and continued through World War I under the presidency of Merzbach, and its Belgian secretaries (first Shoduan, then Bochu). The next president was Nicola Arfagi who also played left wing for the club's football team.

Following the 1919 revolution, the club became Egyptian controlled in 1923 under the presidency of General Haidar Pasha and secretary Youssef Mohamad. In winter 1924, the club moved for the third time to what is now known as El Balloon Theater. Then in 1940, the club was renamed Farouk El Awal Club after being honored by its acknowledgement from the King of Egypt and Sudan, King Farouk. Following the army coup against the King in 1952, the club was renamed “Al Zamalek” after the area where the club was situated. The club then moved yet again for the fourth time in its history to its final destination on 26 July Street, just 500 meters west of the Zamalek bridge, occupying an area of 35 acres (140,000 m2) and hosting 24 different sports.

In 1917 Egyptian members attempted to form a first Egyptian board for the club, but this was blocked by the President of the club, a Frenchman called M. Piankie and the secretary M. Shoudoi who was Belgian, and as a result, no general members meetings were held for the next few years. The Egyptian members realized that it was important to increase the number of Egyptian members to gain a majority at the next general members meeting. As a result, the elections were held and the first Egyptian board was elected with Dr. Mohammad Badr as President, Mostafa Hassan as Deputy President, Ibrahim Allam as General Secretary, and Nicola Arkaji, Mahmoud Bassyouni, Hussein Fawzy and Abdo El Jabalawy as board members.

After the first board. a new board in 1923 with General Mohammad Haidar as a president. At the beginning for the 1940 Gen. Haidar was selectesssd to be from the assistants of the king. Due to being the favorites of the king, the club’s name was changed from AL Moukhtalat to Farouk El Awal and General Mohammad Haidar stayed as a president at the club for almost 30 years which was unusual at an Egyptian club at the time.

Then came the Egyptian army revolution in 1952 and a new club’s board was formed with Dr. Mohammad Shawky as a president who was also the secretary He is thwarts team in the world.11 leuges onlygeneral of the legislation office with high social status right then. In the same board there was Mohammad Hassan Helmy who is one of the most popular Zamalek figures taking the position of the secretary assistant. Due to the rules right then, half the club board was changed every year and Mohammad Hassan Helmy took the position of secretary general.

In 1954 the idea of renovating the club stadium was emerging due to the bad state of the current stadium right then. This led the board to look for a businessman to take over the club and thus help in the stadium renovation. Abd El Hamid El Shawarbi took the presidency and although he was elected for a second period but he was not able to do the job wanted. Right then some Zamalek Faithful figures as General Haidar Pasha, and Haj Sayed El Annany contributed to setting the VIP stand and the first class stand in a way that suits the high status of the club. All of this happened while Abd El Hamid El Shawarbi was outside Egypt, so when he came back he resigned without helping the club in any aspect and the board continued after Shawky stepped up from his Deputy position (after he left the presidency kindheartedly) to continue till September 1955. Still the idea of bringing a businessman to help the club did not subside, and thus the famous businessman Abd El Latif Abo Regeila came as the club president in 1956 where by then, the rules have been changed allowing the board to stay for 3 years. And once again Dr. Shawky steps down for the new businessman although he was reelected as a club president and all for the sake of the club’s prosperity Although Abd El Latif Abo Regeila was reelected for a second presidency period, he had to leave Egypt after he lost his money due to the governmental policy against private property (Bus Company and a mansion at Marg which was the hiding place for many players during the season of resignations). But still the club continued to search for another businessman, and Alwe El Gazzar came as a president who was the owner of El Sheikh Sherieb Company and also the president of the board of the Coca Cola Company right then. Although he was only president for a short period he was able to bring Real Madrid at his own expense in 1961 to play against Zamalek. But still he lost his property due to governmental rules and he left Egypt. In 1962 came a new board with Eng. Hassan Amer as a president and emeritus deputy was given to Dr. Mohammad Shawky, Mohammad Lateef, Galal Kereitam, Mahmoud Emam, and Mahmoud Hafez. Eng. Hassan Amer stayed as president till the defeat of Egyptian army in 1967. In 1967, the minister of youth and sports Talat Khairy decided that the club boards will be appointed rather than elected and hence Mohammad Hassan Helmy took the presidency to become the first sportsman in Egypt to become a president of a club. He stayed in presidency till July 1971 where the rules came back to let the board come from elections and not to let anyone to become a president if this person hold presidency for two consecutive boards. Thus came Tawfeek El Kheshen who took the presidency of the board and the honorary presidency was given to Mohammad Hassan Helmy. In 1973 Mohammad Hassan Helmy was elected to become the president and stayed as the head of the board till 1984 and during this period he was continually elected as the president of one of Egypt’s biggest clubs. Then in 1984 came the”. Eng. Hassan Amer and after him came the Eng. Hasan Abo el Fetouh in 1988. During his period came a new rule by the ministry of youth increasing the number of elected board members to 10 which was removed again in 1990. Eng. Hasan Abo el Fetouh helped in building many of the new building the club is proud of as the gymnasium building which is considered one of the biggest in the Middle East. He also increased the funding for most of the sports teams in the club assisting the winning of many championships during his era.

In 1990 came Galal Ibrhim became the president of the club due to the death of Eng. Hasan Abo el Fetouh. This temporary board was held till September 1990 when the general club meeting was held with the elections of which Eng. ”Mohamad Nour El Daly” became the president of the new board till 1992. In 1992 Galal Ibrhim came as the new president of the club. As the rules were changed right then and the vice treasurer was to be selected mostly by the board members, and then Hamada emam was selected by default to that position while Abdel Hamid Shaheen was elected to the treasurer position. As for the board members, it consisted of: Dr. Ahmed Shereen Fawzy, Mahmoud Marouf, Mohamad Fayez El Zummur, Raouf Gaser, and Tarek Ghonaim. As per the rules, it was also new to have two members of the board under the age of 30. For these two spots, Samy Abo El Kheir and Ihab Ibrahim were elected. As for the appointed members by the high committee for youth and sports, Dr. Mohamad Amer, General Hanafy Reyad, and Farouk Abo El Nasr were added to the board. By 1994 Abdel Hamid Shaheen was not able to continue his duties due to his sickness, but the board chose to keep him in the position in honor of his devotion to the club, and thus Farouk Abo El Nasr was appointed to take the duties while keeping Abdel Hamid Shaheen in the position. In 1995 changes came to the board due to the court removal of four members in the board due to their absence from the board meetings for 6 times. These members were Mahmoud Marouf, Mohamad Fayez El Zummur, Dr. Mohamad Amer. The newly appointed members were Mortada Mansour, Mahmoud Abdallah, Mounnir Hassan, and Ibrahim Latif. Still the he high committee for youth and sports objected on linking the appointed members with the elected ones and as a result Mounnir Hassan, and Ibrahim Latif forfeited their positions for the better good of the club and to remove any embarrassment happening to the board. And as a surprise, the newly two appointed members for the club board were Dr. Mohamad Amer and Farouk Abo El Nasr in support of their abilities and their dedication. As a result Dr. Shereen Fawzy was selected to be treasurer till the new elections. On Thursday 4 July, came the decision by Dr. Abd El Menem Emarah to release the club board and the Egyptian Football Federation board after the sad incidence in the game between Ahly and Zamalek season 95/96, as the board decided to freeze the football activity in the club. Meanwhile the EFF made a series of wrong decisions which caused it to be released too. As a result a one year temporary club board was selected of which Dr. Kamal Darweesh was the president and General Abd EL Aziz Kabil was vice president with the board members consisting of General Hanafy Reyad, Magdy Sharaf, Ismail Selim”, Azmy megahed, and “Mohamad Abd El Rahman Fawzy. Also accountant Mahmoud Badr El Deen was appointed as treasurer .[1]

Zamalek Rivalry

Zamalek has had a rivalry with El Ahly since playing their first league derby in 1948. In the first half of the twentieth century.

Zamalek disaster

Main article: Zamalek disaster

1974 saw a deadly crush at a Zamalek game, as at least 48 people attending the friendly game against Czechoslovak club Dukla Prague were killed in a stampede at the Helmi Zamora Stadium.

Name changes

Team colours

The home jersey uses the original Zamalek colours; White jersey with two horizontal Red stripes and White shorts. The away jersey is Mauve with two Yellow horizontal stripes . The third jersey is all green, which was through history Zamalek's colour for the away jersey.

Grounds

Cairo International Stadium
Main articles: Cairo International Stadium and Helmi Zamora Stadium

The club has no home ground. Their old stadium, Helmi Zamora Stadium, is not suitable for hosting the first team's official matches due to its limited capacity, its central downtown location and the fact that it has not been seriously renovated since its inauguration more than 50 years ago. Consequently, Zamalek play their home matches at Cairo International Stadium and 30 June Stadium.

Honours & Achievements

Total number of cups: 86

Worldwide / Intercontinental

African

UAFA competitions

League

Cup

Domestic

Trophies and years are approved as the Egyptian football Federation site http://www.efa.com.eg , Zamalek SC Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/ZSCOfficial

Team kit

Kit Evolution

Classic
1992-1993
1994-1995
1996-1997
1997-1998
2000-2001
2002-2003
2005-2007
2008-2010
2011-2012
2012-2015

Squad

Current first team squad

As of September 2014. (Officially Announced)

Egyptian Football Association (EFA) rules are that a team may only have 3 foreign born players in the squad.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Egypt GK Ahmed El-Shenawy
2 Egypt DF Reda El-Azab
3 Egypt DF Islam Gamal
4 Egypt MF Omar Gaber (3rd captain)
5 Egypt MF Ibrahim Salah (vice-captain)
6 Egypt DF Ahmed Duiedar
7 Egypt MF Hazem Emam (captain)
8 Burkina Faso MF Mohamed Koffi
9 Egypt FW Khaled Kamar
10 Egypt FW Ahmed Eid
12 Egypt MF Ahmed Tawfik (4th captain)
14 Egypt MF Ayman Hefny
15 Nigeria MF Maarouf Youssuf
16 Egypt GK Gennesh
No. Position Player
17 Egypt FW Basem Morsi
18 Egypt MF Tarek Hamed
19 Burkina Faso FW Abdoulaye Cissé
20 Egypt MF Mohamed Shaaban
21 Egypt GK Mohamed Abou Gabal
22 Egypt DF Hamada Tolba
23 Egypt FW Ahmed Ali
24 Egypt DF Saleh Mousa
25 Egypt DF Ali Gabr
27 Egypt DF Ahmed Samir
29 Egypt DF Yasser Ibrahim
30 Egypt MF Mostafa Fathi
33 Egypt FW "Obama"

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
13 Egypt DF Mohamed Abdel-Shafy (at Ahli Jeddah until 30 June 2015)
28 Egypt FW Mohamed Abd El-Majide (at El Mokawloon until 30 June 2015)
No. Position Player
26 Egypt DF Mohamed Abdel Razek (at Ittihad Alexandria until 30 June 2015)
32 Egypt MF Mahmoud Khaled Shika (at Ittihad Alexandria until 30 June 2015)

Youth academy squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
30 Egypt MF Mostafa Fathi
31 Egypt DF Abd El-Rahman Salah
33 Egypt DF Yossef Ibrahim
36 Egypt FW Mahmoud Hamdi
No. Position Player
Egypt DF Saad Gamal
Egypt MF Youssef Mohi
Egypt FW Al Hagi Khalil Neymar
Egypt FW Hussin Khaled

Coaching staff

Position Staff
Manager Portugal Jesualdo Ferreira
General coach Portugal Nono Al-Mida
Portugal Roy Al-Mida
Portugal Lisargo Ferreira
Egypt Mohamed Salah (coach)
Assistant coach Egypt Alaa Abdel-Ghany
Goalkeepers coach Egypt Ayman Taher
Fitness coach Portugal Márcio Sambayo
Football Director Egypt Ismail Youssef
General Director Egypt Hamada Anwar
Club doctor Egypt Adel Hadad
Doctor Egypt
Dietician Egypt
Rehabilitation of Sport Injuries Egypt
Physiotherapist Egypt

Source:

Notable players

Note: this list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

see also List of Zamalek SC players

Managers

[7]

Club presidents

No Period Name From To
1 1st Belgium George Marzbach 1911 1915
2 1st France Nicolas Arfagi Bianchi[10] 1915 1917
3 1st Egypt Dr.Mohamed Badr Basha 1917 1919
4 1st Egypt Mohamed Heidar Basha 1923 1952
5 1st Egypt Mahmoud Shawki 1952 1955
6 1st Egypt Abdel Hamid El-Shawarbi 1955 1955
7 2nd Egypt Mahmoud Shawki 1955 1956
8 1st Egypt Egypt Abdel Latif Abou Regaila 1956 1961
9 1st Egypt Elwi El-Gazzar 1961 1962
10 1st Egypt Hassan Amer 1962 1967
11 1st Egypt Mohammed Hassan Helmy 1967 1971
12 1st Egypt Egypt Tawfik El-Kheshin 1971 1972
13 2nd Egypt Mohammed Hassan Helmy 1974 1980
14 3rd Egypt Egypt Mohammed Hassan Helmy 1980 1984
15 2nd Egypt Hassan Amer 1984 1988
16 1st Egypt Hassan Abou El Fotouh 1988 1990
17 1st Egypt Nour El-Dali 1990 1992
18 1st Egypt Galal Ibrahim 1992 1996
19 1st Egypt Kamal Darwish 1996 2001
20 2nd Egypt Kamal Darwish 2001 2005
21 1st Egypt Mortada Mansour 2005 2005
22 (MY) 1st Egypt Morsi Atallah 2005 2006
23 (D) 2nd Egypt Mortada Mansour 2006 2006
24 (NCS) 1st Egypt Raouff Gasser 2006 2006
25 (NCS) 1st Egypt Mamdouh Abbas 2006 2008
26 (NCS) 1st Egypt Mohamed Amer 2008 2009
27 2nd Egypt Mamdouh Abbas 2009 2010
28 (NCS) 2nd Egypt Galal Ibrahim 2010 2011
29 (D) 3rd Egypt Mamdouh Abbas 2011 2013
30 (MS) 3rd Egypt Kamal Darwish 2013 2014
31 3rd Egypt Mortada Mansour 2014 present

(MY) appointed by the Ministry of Youth.
(D) return due court decision.
(NCS) appointed by the National Council for Sports. (MS) appointed by the Ministry of Sports.

Other sports

Zamalek club compete in different other sports. Zamalek's Handball, Athletics, Volleyball and Basketball teams have won many national, African and Arabic competitions.

References

  1. ↑ http://eg.eurosport.com/football/egyptian-league/2013-2014/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83-%22%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B2%D8%B9%22-%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%84%D9%8A_sto4154797/ar-story.shtml
  2. ↑ http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/409011
  3. ↑ (Arabic) http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/402734
  4. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/EgyinClubrank.html
  5. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/Cairoleague.html
  6. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/ZamalekIn1973OctoberLeague.html
  7. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ak/EgyptianSports/zamalekcoaches.html
  8. ↑ http://zamalek.sc/za/news.php?topic=1410
  9. ↑ http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.theo.bucker.61016.en.html
  10. ↑ George Marzbach

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zamalek SC.