Al-Ahly in a dilemma after Al-Khatib announced he will not run for the club presidency

In a surprising development that shook the halls of Al-Ahly club, Mohamed Al-Khatib , the chairman of the club's board of directors, announced that he would not run for a new term in the upcoming elections scheduled for November 2025, thus putting an end to an administrative career that has lasted for many years within the red fortress.

Despite the board's rejection of his decision, Al-Khatib continues to ignore calls amidst urgent moves from the wise committee to try to convince him to reconsider.

Al-Khatib, who is 70 years old, sent an official letter to the Al-Ahly board last Friday, requesting to be exempted from running again, indicating that he decided to respond to the doctors' recommendations and begin an urgent treatment phase, after ongoing health issues and repeated disregard for rest advice.

"I have tried several times to distance myself from pressures in line with medical advice, but new developments forced me to return to daily work. As the date for the call for new board elections approaches, I announce my decision not to run and to start my treatment journey from now, placing my full trust in your ability to lead the club, and I am ready to provide advice and counsel until the new board is elected."

Despite what was stated in Al-Khatib's statement, the Al-Ahly board issued an official statement rejecting this decision, affirming its insistence on his continued leadership of the club, emphasizing its appreciation for his career that has spanned over fifty years, as a player, administrator, treasurer, vice president, and then president of the club since 2017.

The board considered that Al-Khatib's sacrifices were a fundamental pillar in the unprecedented sports, construction, and financial achievements that have been realized in recent years.

The board pointed out that it is the right of the club president to take a break at a time he sees fit, but it emphasized at the same time its complete rejection of Al-Khatib's withdrawal from the leadership scene, whether currently or in the future.

A source within the board revealed to France Press that attempts to contact Al-Khatib have not ceased since Thursday evening, but he is not responding to any calls, which has raised significant concern within the board. He added:

"We will not stop trying to convince him to reconsider his decision, whether to continue in his position or to run again. As of this moment, there are no discussions within the board about alternative candidates, because we trust that he will respond to our demands and the demands of the general assembly."

On the other hand, a source close to Al-Khatib confirmed to the same agency that he is completely committed to his decision, after explicit medical warnings about the necessity of staying away from administrative pressures and stopping any new tasks due to his health condition.

It is worth mentioning that Mohamed Al-Khatib underwent a surgery to remove a tumor in his spine in 2012, and had the surgery again in 2018.

Since then, he has received intensive treatment amidst ongoing medical recommendations for rest, yet he insisted on continuing his duties in respect of the trust of the fans and the general assembly.

"Al-Khatib aspired to continue until he achieves his personal dream of opening the Al-Ahly Stadium, scheduled in about five years, but the doctors explicitly informed him that this continuation poses a risk to his life. It is impossible to determine what will happen in the future, but he currently does not intend to retract his decision."

In light of this critical situation, the club's wise committee has entered the crisis to try to convince "Beebo" to reconsider his decision, amidst growing concern within the red fortress about who can succeed the Al-Ahly legend if he insists on his position.