Marcel Koller, the head coach of Swiss club Zurich, confirmed that he learned a great deal from his experience with Al Ahly, which he described as successful.
Zurich will face Basel tomorrow evening, Saturday, in the match of the day for the third round of the Swiss Super League. This encounter is considered a special one for Marcel Koller.
Koller, who is 65 years old, previously played in nine Zurich-Basel derbies when he was the manager of the latter, but he will face his former team for the first time in over six years.
Koller admitted that the level of pressure he experienced during his time with Basel was different, explaining that his experience with Al Ahly, which ended about a year and a half ago, helped him handle pressure more calmly.
Marcel Koller said in statements carried by the Swiss newspaper Now: "It has been a long time since I was part of this matchup... From the fans' perspective, the match will certainly be special."
The Swiss coach added: "In my last Basel-Zurich derby, I was younger, but I also went through the Al Ahly experience, where the pressure is much greater."
He continued: "With Al Ahly, you have to win every match, otherwise the fans might chase you in the streets. I learned a lot from my successful experience in Egypt and gained much experience, which is important. I believe I have become calmer now."
Koller has an excellent record in his previous encounters with Zurich when he was the manager of Basel, having achieved seven wins in nine matches, along with one draw and one loss.
Marcel Koller won 11 titles over nearly three seasons with Al Ahly, including the Egyptian League twice, the Egyptian Cup twice, and the African Champions League twice.
