Walid Al-Faraj Embarrasses Zamalek Vice President

Hesham Nasr, the Vice President of Egyptian club Zamalek, pointed out the significant fan power that his team enjoys in the Gulf region, considering that the sons of the White Castle have been a fundamental pillar in building and developing the sports movement there.

At the opening ceremony of Zamalek Club's academies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hesham Nasr stated: "Firstly, spreading across the Arab world in general increases the fan base, whether from expatriate Egyptians abroad or from our Gulf brothers."

He added: "I believe Zamalek has a huge following in the Gulf, for one main reason that I know, which is that the pioneers of sports in the Gulf were all sons of Zamalek."

Regarding the opening of Zamalek Club academies in the Kingdom, he said: "From an economic standpoint, the club will benefit, and from a technical perspective, it will instill loyalty in the children of expatriates to the club. The standout players among them will be brought to the first team or the youth team; expansion is very beneficial."

Saudi journalist Walid Al-Faraj responded to Hisham Nasr's statement during his sports program aired on "Rotana Khalejia", saying: "Regarding the story that Zamalek fans were the first to come to the Gulf, in Kuwait there was Captain Hassan Shehata, and in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, there were Egyptian players, and in Qatar (too)."

He continued: "But in Saudi Arabia, no, the first to come and play in Saudi Arabia were not Egyptians or Zamalek fans, but Indonesians and then Sudanese. Just to clarify, you must remember that the Gulf is one thing, and Saudi Arabia in terms of football is another."