The Portuguese school has become the closest to leading the first team of Zamalek Club in the upcoming season, succeeding coach Ayman Al-Ramadi, who left after the end of the last season.

According to reports, the salary is a barrier for the Zamalek Board of Directors, headed by Hussein Labib, to contract with Portuguese coach Paulo Bento, who earns 2.5 million dollars per season.

According to sources, this amount is difficult for Zamalek to commit to at the moment, but if the coach agrees to reduce his salary, it may be possible to contract with him.

In a related context, sources indicated that John Edward, the sports director of Zamalek, is close to contracting with three players during the ongoing summer transfer window to strengthen the team for the new season.

The sources clarified that the Zamalek Board of Directors decided to allocate a separate budget for the football team during the upcoming phase after the appointment of John Edward as the club's sports director.