كتب : حاتم ماهر | الإثنين، 13 سبتمبر 2010 - 10:13

Sacking Al-Badri not an option for Ahli

Despite the media hype surrounding Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri and the heavy criticism he faces on a daily basis, his job remains safe because the club have no option but to keep hold of him until further notice.

The majority of Ahli's demanding fans are disgruntled with the team's below-par displays, recalling the glory days of Manuel Jose who departed in the summer of 2009 to end a glorious five-year reign.

Jose's visit to the club last week might have further stoked the fans' anger towards the way Al-Badri handles the team as many of them pleaded with the Portuguese coach to return to the side he guided to a host of local and continental titles.

But realistically speaking, such a dream will not be realized - at least in the near future.

The anger of Ahli supporters is justifiable because the Red Devils, who signed several stars in the close season, are failing to make the most of their star-studded squad.

The team made a poor start to their Egyptian Premier League campaign and dropped seven points in their first four games in the CAF Champions League group stage. They also performed badly on several occasions.

However, Ahli's board of directors has every right not to make any rash decisions and sack Jose's former assistant Al-Badri.

Al-Badri has simply fulfilled 90% of his targets since succeeding Jose at the helm, putting the board in a position in which it can hardly argue or question his technical abilities.

Ahli have won their sixth consecutive league title in Al-Badri's first season in charge and reached the Egyptian Cup final before losing to Harras Hodoud in a penalty shootout.

They took a big stride towards winning a record-extending seventh Champions League title after reaching the competition's semis on Sunday with an easy 2-1 home victory over Nigeria's Heartland.

So until now, Al-Badri can not be blamed for any results because they have been positive to a large extent.

Ahli can not also find a suitable replacement if they fire the 50-year-old in such an early stage of the season.

Bringing in a foreign coach, like some reports have suggested, is not a practical choice because he will need some time to learn the team's basics, let alone improving their unconvincing displays.

Al-Badri should remain in Ahli's hot seat unless he fails in a major test.

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