Since joining Al-Ahly's board and successfully securing the vice-presidential seat, businessman Yassin Mansour, a former board member, has operated behind the scenes. During his first few months, he closely observed and familiarized himself with the club's internal workings, leaving several files, particularly those related to football, to the duo of Mahmoud El-Khatib, the club president, and Sayed Abdel Hafez, a board member.
Although Yassin Mansour preferred to study the situation within Al-Ahly following the success of El-Khatib's list last November, he intervened immediately and urgently to resolve a major crisis.
The previous board faced a wave of objections from employees, culminating in protest sit-ins at the club's four branches: Gezira, Nasr City, Sheikh Zayed, and El Tagamoa last October.
Yassin intervened and addressed the employees' file, personally paying 12 million Egyptian pounds during his first four months in the form of grants. He then made the most crucial decision by terminating the employment of Saad Shalabi, Al-Ahly's executive director.
Regarding the football sector, Yassin Mansour intervened directly after receiving authorization from Al-Ahly's board last March, officially assuming responsibility for a file previously overseen by club president Mahmoud El-Khatib with participation from Sayed Abdel Hafez.
Immediately upon obtaining these powers, Yassin intervened again to resolve a major crisis, specifically by terminating the contract of the team's former head coach, Jess Thorup, bearing the consequences of the signed agreement. He exerted significant efforts and covered part of the settlement cost with the Danish coach.
The club's vice-president contributed to resolving two crises involving the contract renewals of Imam Ashour and Mostafa Shobeir. He provided financial support to settle the dispute with the former, while for the latter, he contained a situation that had escalated within the club's walls regarding complaints about an employee instigating an attack on Al-Ahly's primary goalkeeper. He bridged differing viewpoints, concluded negotiations, and offered reassurances to the young goalkeeper.
Yassin Mansour played a vital role in organizing the first team by reviewing and drafting contracts, abolishing the A+ category introduced last year, and dividing the first category into closely aligned tiers based on specific criteria. This approach promotes fairness and maintains stability within the locker room.
Mansour did not reduce contract values; instead, he increased the worth of the first category and established a system for adjusting player contracts, linking part of the financial value to performance and results. He also liberated the club from obligations under advertising contracts, restructuring them according to supply and demand principles.
Mansour could not implement all his plans, as some board members objected to assigning a global name to manage scouting due to the associated financial cost. The vice-president was prepared to cover half of this expense. However, the Al-Ahly vice-president emphasizes collective decision-making rather than acting unilaterally or imposing his viewpoint.
Mansour had sought to hire a European head coach and assign the Dutch club Ajax responsibility for leading the youth sector, but neither materialized.
