Amman — Current coach and former Jordan national team and Al-Wehdat star Mahmoud Shalabiya revealed that his former teammate and friend Hassan Abdel Fattah was behind Al-Jazeera Club management’s decision to remove him from his position as head coach.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking on “The Third Half,” hosted by Al-Ghad journalist Khaled Al-Khattabih and broadcast on the newspaper’s digital platforms, Shalabiya said Al-Wehdat had wronged him by overlooking him when considering candidates to coach the club during the past period, despite his qualifications. He also explained the reasons behind the failure of coach Wasim Al-Bazour during his spell in charge of Al-Wehdat at the start of the current football season.
The former star said Al-Wehdat’s prestige has been damaged by shortcomings within the club’s administration and the nature of the decisions it makes, particularly as some decisions are influenced by social media. He stressed that he is not aligned with Bashar Al-Hawamdeh, Yousef Al-Saqour or Ziad Shalabiya.
Shalabiya, nicknamed “Al-Saqr” (The Falcon), said Tariq Khoury was the best president in Al-Wehdat’s history, despite disagreements between the two on some issues and despite Khoury having contributed to accelerating Shalabiya’s retirement.
Regarding the current Al-Wehdat squad and its chances of winning domestic titles, Shalabiya said the team currently lacks both defensive and attacking solutions following the departures of a number of key players, including Anas Al-Awadat, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Mahmoud Shawkat and Muhannad Samreen. This, he said, makes it difficult for the team to compete strongly for titles, particularly given its poor start to the season, when it failed to score in its first three weeks — a worrying sign.
“Al-Saqr” also discussed the team he considers the strongest candidate to win the league title, saying Al-Faisaly have the greatest ability to win trophies and explaining the reasons behind his choice.
Asked how he would have reacted if he had received an offer to play for Al-Faisaly during his playing career, Shalabiya said there were players like himself and Raafat Ali, for example, who could not have played for Al-Faisaly, just as it would have been impossible for Hassouneh Al-Sheikh to play for Al-Wehdat at the time. He noted that circumstances have since changed.
Shalabiya said he would have no objection to coaching Al-Faisaly if offered the position, considering himself a professional coach and viewing such a move as a normal part of professional football. He also praised Al-Faisaly’s history, heritage and large fan base.
He spoke about special rituals practiced by Al-Wehdat players before their matches against Al-Faisaly, noting that he personally used to follow certain rituals and explaining the routines and behaviors he would engage in before the derby.
Reflecting on his experience coaching Shabab Al-Ordon, Shalabiya said club president Salim Khair fell short in his dealings with him and instead chose to listen to the players’ opinions, prompting him to make a hasty decision.
Regarding the Jordan national team, Shalabiya said Mousa Al-Taamari was unfairly treated at the World Cup because he was deployed as an attacking player, adding that the national team’s problem at the center-forward position requires the involvement of player Yousef Saleh.
The former Al-Wehdat star also criticized the mechanism used to appoint national-team coaches, which involves the Jordan Football Association publishing announcements seeking
Resource: Al-Ghad.
