Mahmoud Taher, the former president of the board of directors of Al-Ahly Club, confirmed that a number of media outlets deliberately distorted his image before the fans, motivated by "stakeholders".
Mahmoud Taher said in statements to the Emirati Al Sharq network: "Now, wherever I go and meet the fans, I find them expressing their love for me, but as for the members, I do not meet a large number of them because I do not frequent the club much, but the fans always show me their affection".
He added: "There is a very important point, which is that the media promoted untrue matters to the fans, and I do not want to get into conspiracy theory, but this is what happened. When I was president of Al-Ahly Club, the club's channel included a program that attacked me, and I was asked to stop it, but I refused".
He continued: "I was also asked to deal with the media and the press in a different way, but I refused as well, and said that what will speak about me is my work, not that it be said that I buy anyone's loyalties or dictate to anyone what they say".
He continued: "The presence of one or two people affiliated with Zamalek among the preparation teams of some programs on Al-Ahly channel does not mean that Al-Ahly has been infiltrated.. Then what does it even mean that Al-Ahly has been infiltrated? And would the presence of Zamalek-affiliated people inside the club make them push us to make decisions against Al-Ahly? This is illogical talk, and its intent is to distort the image and not convey the truth".
Regarding the one responsible for that, he said: "I mean the group that has interests in the absence of people who work only for the benefit of Al-Ahly, and not to achieve personal interests or benefit from the club".
Mahmoud Taher concluded his statements by saying: "After the end of my term, when Al-Ahly was exposed to defeat, an atmosphere of shouting and joy would prevail inside the press center and Al-Ahly channel, and yet no one at the time said that Al-Ahly had been 'Zamalakized', and no one spoke about the director of the Al-Ahly club channel belonging to Zamalek".
