Al -Khatib does not respond to contacts and adheres to the decision not to run again to the presidency of Al -Ahly

A source in the Egyptian Al -Ahly Club’s board of directors revealed extensive attempts by the administration in conjunction with the Al -Hakamah Committee in the club, to the statement of Mahmoud Al -Khatib, Chairman of Al -Ahly’s Board of Directors, from his decision not to run for the club’s presidency in the elections scheduled for the end of this year.

Al -Khatib had submitted an official letter to Al -Ahly’s Board of Directors on Friday, in which he asked to be exempted from running the upcoming elections scheduled for next November for the position of the club’s president who has been occupied since November 2017.

Al -Khatib said in the statement, which was published on Al -Ahly’s official website, “I tried several times to move away from the pressure of the doctors’ advice, but every time the successive developments were hurting me to return to start daily work in compliance with the responsibility that was assigned to the members of the club’s general assembly and in appreciation of the confidence and aspirations of the fans, ”indicating his decision to respond to the recommendations of the doctors and the beginning of a treatment stage immediately.

Al -Khatib, 70, revealed, “With the approaching call to elect a new board of directors in less than two months, I declare my nomination for a new period and the beginning of my treatment stage from now, putting my full confidence in your competence and your ability to manage the next stage and with my preparation to participate in opinion and advice until the election of a new board of directors.”

Al -Khatib had met with the players of the first football team in Al -Ahly Thursday, and demanded that they make an effort to correct the team’s position in the Egyptian League championship in which the team occupies the thirteenth place before the start of the sixth round matches, then he led a meeting of the Al -Ahly board of directors in which he adopted the club’s budget for last year, in which the council called on the club members to attend the general assembly scheduled for next Friday to discuss the list of the club’s internal system and the call for the elections of the Board of Directors next November.

For his part, Al -Ahly’s Board of Directors issued a statement published on the club’s official website in which he rejected Al -Khatib’s decision, and confirmed his adherence to his continuation at the head of the red leadership. The Council affirmed its appreciation for the Al -Khatib march, which extends for more than fifty years inside the Red Castle, as a player, administrative, secretary of the fund, vice -president, then president of the club, and the great sacrifices he made for the elevation of Al -Ahly and achieving his unprecedented achievements at the sports, construction and financial levels.

The statement stated that despite the club president’s right to obtain comfort and treatment at the time it deems appropriate, the council confirms its complete rejection of the preacher away from the leadership, whether now or in the future.

A source in Al -Ahly’s Board of Directors told AFP: “The members of the Council have tried to communicate with Al -Khatib since Thursday evening, but he refuses to respond to any contacts. We will not stop trying to persuade him to retract his decision, whether by returning to the club’s presidency or running again in the upcoming elections.

The source revealed that Al -Ahly’s Board of Directors rejected any attempts to discuss other names candidates for the elections in the event of Al -Khatib insisting on his decision, indicating the confidence of his members that the club president will respond to the opinion of the Council and the General Assembly.

For his part, a source close to Al -Khatib told AFP that the latter is adhering to his decision until now after he received great medical warnings that he refused to run in the elections or continued in office because of his health.

Al -Khatib had undergone an operation to remove a spine in 2012, before he underwent another operation for the same reason in 2018, and received intense treatment since this time with rest recommendations, but he rejected it due to the obligations of Al -Ahly.

The source continued, “Al -Khatib wanted to continue the journey until his dream was to open Al -Ahly Stadium, scheduled for about five years, but the doctors rejected all his attempts. It is not possible to predict what will happen later, but at the present time he is sticking to his decision. ”

Al -Khatib took the presidency of Al -Ahly in November 2017, and was re -elected again in 2021.