Missing Football Lessons!

The football season in Egypt and England came to an end at nearly the same time. In Egypt, however, almost all attention was focused on Zamalek SC winning the title and Al Ahly SC finishing in third place. Sports media and social media platforms became arenas for what resembled a “football war” between supporters of the two clubs. Other developments witnessed throughout the season—and the lessons that could have been drawn from them—received only marginal attention.

Thousands of miles away, Arsenal F.C.’s triumph was merely one feature of the English season, not the entire story. Sports analysts, financial experts, and even politicians engaged in calm and rational discussions about the Premier League and how its benefits could be maximized.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Arsenal, the club he supports, on their victory. No one accused him of bias. Publicly supporting a football club is considered entirely normal there and does not diminish a politician’s standing among voters. What matters is performance in office, not football loyalties.

Some newspapers compared the success of the Premier League—widely regarded as one of the strongest leagues in the world—with Britain’s broader economic and political struggles under Starmer’s leadership. The Economist remarked: “If Britain were a football team, it would be on the verge of relegation. Its economy is struggling, and its people are frustrated.”

The Premier League generates around $13 billion annually. The world’s most talented investors, players, and coaches aspire to be part of it. Why? That is the question we should seek to answer if we hope to transform the Egyptian league into a model competition for the Arab world. Instead of endlessly inflaming the emotions of الأهلي and الزمالك supporters, there are far more important questions that deserve attention.

Although the administrative authorities in England play a significant role, their powers are clearly defined and rarely exceeded. Their primary objective is to create the best possible environment for the success of the competition through strict application of regulations and impartial treatment of clubs. Excessive administrative interference—whether through altering schedules or overreliance on VAR technology—only slows the game and diminishes its enjoyment.

The obsession with constantly changing managers remains one of the major flaws of our domestic league. Arsenal’s owners showed patience with manager Mikel Arteta, giving him time and trust to build a title-winning team—and eventually he succeeded.

Attention to statistics and data analysis remains a “missing obligation” in Egypt generally, and in football it is almost entirely absent. In England, however, performance analysis has enabled mid-sized clubs such as Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and Brentford F.C. to compete with the elite and achieve remarkable results despite limited budgets.

Fair television broadcasting rights in England allow smaller clubs to receive substantial revenues, enabling them to acquire talented players. In Egypt, by contrast, the lion’s share goes to the two traditional giants, widening the financial gap between them and the rest of the league. Marketing there promotes the competition itself—not merely the matches of two clubs, as happens here.

The absence of Ismaily SC from next season’s league should serve as an alarm bell regarding the future of traditional community clubs—and perhaps the future of football itself. When matches are played between corporate-owned teams in nearly empty stadiums, fans lose enthusiasm and the natural excitement of the sport fades away.

Football is a vital emotional outlet for millions across Egypt’s provinces. When their local clubs disappear from the league’s radar, millions are deprived of their weekly passion and inevitably turn their attention to foreign competitions. Football is not only Al Ahly and Zamalek.

Originally published in Al Masry Al Youm