Ahly Club Statement About Hadary's Saga

The Committee of Football of Ahly Club issued a meeting to discuss all the events associated with the departure of Ahly’s player, Essam El Hadary, to Switzerland without permission form Ahly’s administration. Furthermore, Essam El Hadary signed a contract with F.C. Sion while he is still on contract with Al-Ahly, which was effective in Early January 2007 until the end of season 2009/2010. The Football committee is revealing the following clarifications and decisions:

1) Ahly’s director of Marketing received a phone call from the player, confirmation that representatives from an European club will come to Cairo to negotiate about his transfer.

2) Representatives from Swiss Club F.C. Sion arrived to the headquarters of Al-Ahly club and they were received by the director of Marketing. The Swiss club requested to buy the player’s contract for only $400 thousand US dollars, in addition to 50% if the player is sold to another club.

3) The player spoke directly to Al-Ahly club president and Vice-President about the offer from the Swiss club. The president and Vice present, both confirmed the impossibility to approve the transfer of any player during the season, especially in Essam’s case, as the club will be exposed to massive technical risk, since the team will continue the domestic league as well as start the African Champions League with only 2 goal-keepers, as the domestic and African transfer period closed in January 2008. Furthermore, the Swiss offer is neither appropriate nor commensurate to Ahly’s name and player’s history.

4) Based on the mentioned conditions, the player was asked to postpone his transfer till the end of the season which is after 3 months. The meeting amongst Ahly Marketing director and Sion’s representatives was called off on that basis.

5) On the next day of the meeting that took place between Ahly Marketing director and Sion representatives, Al-Ahly received a letter from Swiss Club Sion, mentioning that their side has sealed an agreement with the player about his transfer, and inviting Ahly president to Geneva to conclude the transfer. The letter claimed that the Swiss club obtained an approval from Al-Ahly’s side for the transfer, and that never happened.

6) After only 2 hours of the receipt of the letter mentioned in clause 5, the Egyptian Football Association received a letter from the Swiss Federation on the 15^th of February 2008, requesting the player’s international card, with information about the latest official match played with Al-Ahly.

7) Al-Ahly closed any sort of negotiations about that issue, especially that Sion’s offer is completely rejected and that was made clear to the president of F.C. Sion in his brief visit to Cairo, in addition to the fact that the player is in preparatory training for the first encounter of the League’s second leg, as Essam played that match on the 20^th of February 2008.

8) On the morning of Thursday 21^st of February 2008, Ahly club was surprised by the player’s departure to Switzerland, without informing anybody from the club about his departure nor about the reasons that prompted him to do so

9) Administration of Ahly club sent a letter to the Egyptian Football Association requesting the suspension of the player for an indefinite period, and NOT to send the international card, as the player is on an ongoing contract with Al-Ahly club.

10) The Egyptian Football Association supported Al-Ahly after fully examining the situation, and replied back to the Swiss Football Association, confirming the invalidity of the transition of the player to F.C.Sion, and therefore not sending the international card.

11) Al-Ahly sent a letter to the Swiss club, expressing its astonishment from its claim that Al-Ahly approved the transfer, as that never happened … Essam El Hadary’s contract is still ongoing till the end of the season of 2009/2010 …The player is recorded on the annals of the Egyptian and African Associations …The letter confirmed that Al-Ahly club will take all the legal procedures to reserve the rights of the club against any abuse… Ahly club enclosed a copy of the letter sent by the Egyptian Association to the Swiss Association refusing to send the International Card.

12) The player appeared in a press conference wearing the official jersey of the Swiss Club F.C.Sion and announced the transfer in the media. Player’s appearance and statement confirms beyond any doubt that he has signed for the Swiss Club, while he is on an ongoing-contract with Ahly club.

Accordingly, Ahly club decided the following:

A) Take all measures and procedures that preserve its rights with all involved parties in this issue.

B) File a complaint with all related documents to the case at the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) via the Egyptian Football Association against the player and the Swiss Club.

At the end, Al-Ahly Club expresses its disappointment for all the irresponsible actions taken by the player and steps taken by the Swiss club and each party that was involved in the illegal methods. At the time, where Ahly administration is keen about the club’s best interest, fans’ ambitions and feelings and worries about the future of the players. For example the club administration, agreed about the transfer and loan of three major and main players on the team and during the season: Mohamed Shawky to the English club Middlesbrough, Wael Gomma to Sailia of Qatar, and Hassan Mustapha to Wehda of Saudia Arabia, with the acknowledgement that all these transfers were done within the conditions that suited the club and in the appropriate time.