London: Bob Bradley insisted he is “totally committed” to coaching Egypt’s national team despite the turmoil in the country following the riot at a game last week that left more than 70 dead.
The federation president who hired Bradley last year and his board were dismissed by the prime minister in the aftermath of Wednesday’s rampage.
But Bradley, a former U.S. national team coach, is sure that he will lead Egypt into African Cup of Nations qualifying.
“I’m totally committed,” Bradley told a broadcaster according to an e-mailed transcript. “When a tragedy like this occurs it’s important that people can come together and can be strong, and in my role as coach of the national team I want to do whatever I can in my responsibilities to help with this process.”
The deadliest football stadium disaster since 1996 unfolded in the Mediterranean city of Port Said following Al-Masry’s league match against Cairo-based Al-Ahly, with fans crushed to death while others were fatally stabbed or suffocated in a stampede.
Protesters accused the police of doing nothing to stop the violence and that set off a new cycle of clashes against Egypt’s military rulers that has killed 13 people in five days.
“This is a much deeper situation than football—really not the case of football fan violence—and I think it is important for people around the world to understand that,” Bradley said. “Obviously there is a lot going on in Egypt at this time, events after the revolution, and the football community is connected with all that and certainly some of the Ultras from different clubs especially Al-Ahly.
“These young people have been responsible for trying to bring about change in the country and these are people that have a passion for Egypt and with it an incredible passion for Egyptian football and their club.”
Al-Ahly players Mohamed Aboutrika, Emad Moteab and Mohamed Barakat—all on the Egypt national team—announced they are retiring after witnessing the violence last week.
And Bradley is unsure if Egypt’s 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier will go ahead in the Central African Republic as planned on Feb. 29.
“Quite clearly given the events, it will take these players some time to try to move forward,” Bradley said. “With it, there are enough questions about when the league will begin again or whether or not games will be played with fans or without.”
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.