BERLIN - The unrest in Egypt makes the planned October start of the nation's football league season doubtful and training offers no real distraction from the violence, according to a German top flight coach based there.
Rainer Zobel, during a short stop in his home country, said that pre-season training at his El Gouna club on the Red Sea has not been directly affected by the violence, but that no one can escape it.
"There is no unrest in El Gouna, life continues as normal. (But) it is very strange if you see the kite surfers, and the holidaymakers enjoying life - knowing that many are killed a few hundred kilometres away," Zobel said.
"It is not so difficult for me. But I see that my players, who constantly watch the news, find it difficult to concentrate on football. They have relatives - parents, children, wives - in the areas where the unrest occurs.
"Thankfully, no relative or friend of the players has been harmed."
Zobel, 64, won three Bundesliga titles and European cups as a player for Bayern Munich in the 1970s. He has coached clubs in Iran, South Africa, Georgia and Moldova, and the El Gouna job since April is his latest stint in Egypt.
Zobel is also no stranger to political tensions as he had to leave Dinamo Tbilisi in 2008 over the hostilities between Georgia and Russia.
The latest unrest in Egypt was triggered by the army's overthrow of former president Mohammed Morsi.
Zobel said that he feels safe in El Gouna and praised the enthusiasm of football-crazy Egyptians beyond all political fences, but doubts whether the league will really start as planned in mid-October.
"It would be nice to know what will happen. The league is supposed to start on October 15 or 25. But I doubt that because if I don't expect peace to be restored in such a way that the police can assure games take place. Security measures have to be taken, and I don't know this can happen in time."
The political unrest has badly affected football over the past years.
The 2011-12 season was suspended in early 2012 after 74 people were killed in riots at a stadium in the coastal city of Port Said during a game between the home team and Cairo's al-Ahly.
The past campaign, which started late in February was stopped a week before its end over the unstable situation after Morsi was toppled. In addition, many games were played behind closed doors for security reasons.
"The quality suffered because the league was stopped for a year. Many foreign and Egyptian players have gone abroad to play football. The best players have left," he said.
Zobel says he will stay but that his wife and two sons only come for short visits from Germany.
Egypt soccer season doubt
BERLIN - The unrest in Egypt makes the planned October start of the nation's football league season doubtful and training offers no real distraction from the violence, according to a German top flight coach based there.
Rainer Zobel, during a short stop in his home country, said that pre-season training at his El Gouna club on the Red Sea has not been directly affected by the violence, but that no one can escape it.
"There is no unrest in El Gouna, life continues as normal. (But) it is very strange if you see the kite surfers, and the holidaymakers enjoying life - knowing that many are killed a few hundred kilometres away," Zobel said.
"It is not so difficult for me. But I see that my players, who constantly watch the news, find it difficult to concentrate on football. They have relatives - parents, children, wives - in the areas where the unrest occurs.
"Thankfully, no relative or friend of the players has been harmed."
Zobel, 64, won three Bundesliga titles and European cups as a player for Bayern Munich in the 1970s. He has coached clubs in Iran, South Africa, Georgia and Moldova, and the El Gouna job since April is his latest stint in Egypt.
Zobel is also no stranger to political tensions as he had to leave Dinamo Tbilisi in 2008 over the hostilities between Georgia and Russia.
The latest unrest in Egypt was triggered by the army's overthrow of former president Mohammed Morsi.
Zobel said that he feels safe in El Gouna and praised the enthusiasm of football-crazy Egyptians beyond all political fences, but doubts whether the league will really start as planned in mid-October.
"It would be nice to know what will happen. The league is supposed to start on October 15 or 25. But I doubt that because if I don't expect peace to be restored in such a way that the police can assure games take place. Security measures have to be taken, and I don't know this can happen in time."
The political unrest has badly affected football over the past years.
The 2011-12 season was suspended in early 2012 after 74 people were killed in riots at a stadium in the coastal city of Port Said during a game between the home team and Cairo's al-Ahly.
The past campaign, which started late in February was stopped a week before its end over the unstable situation after Morsi was toppled. In addition, many games were played behind closed doors for security reasons.
"The quality suffered because the league was stopped for a year. Many foreign and Egyptian players have gone abroad to play football. The best players have left," he said.
Zobel says he will stay but that his wife and two sons only come for short visits from Germany.
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