Medhat Shalaby proposes selling 51% of Egyptian clubs

Egyptian journalist Medhat Shalaby spoke about his vision of the idea of ​​listing Egyptian clubs on the stock exchange, stressing that the entry of any club into the stock market requires a clear investment return for shareholders.

Shalaby explained, during his meeting with the journalist Asma Ibrahim on the “Sary Ink” program, that the investor will not agree to buy shares in a club that does not guarantee profits, pointing out that the two clubs that are actually capable of attracting real investments are Al-Ahly Club and Zamalek Club, due to their broad fan base inside and outside Egypt.

He pointed out that clubs such as Al-Ittihad of Alexandria, Al-Ismaili, and Al-Masry of Port Said enjoy large audiences, but they remain limited to their governorates, unlike Al-Ahly and Zamalek, whose fans extend throughout the Arab world.

He also stressed the decline in the number of fan clubs in the Egyptian League compared to corporate and investment clubs, explaining that the absence of fans affects viewership rates and interest in matches, especially when the match is devoid of one of the clubs with a large fan base.

Shalabi suggested opening the door for investors to buy 51% of Egyptian clubs, or merging corporate clubs with popular clubs, in order to ensure real financial support that restores balance to the competition, noting that Egyptian football previously had large popular clubs such as Mansoura, Sohag, Olympic, and Aswan, and their matches represented a wide public celebration.