Minutes before the start of the “Carthage Eagles” team’s training at El Menzah stadium in the capital, Tunis, the Football Association gave way to journalists to obtain statements from the team’s technical staff, but the spark of tension quickly erupted between the great and a number of media professionals before the coach verbally assaulted the journalist on Radio Express. Anis al-Sahbani’s private FM radio station, and threatened to physically assault him, before the anger escalated against another journalist from the private “Mosaic” radio, Ahmed Adalah.
The pioneers of social networking platforms circulated videos and photos in which Al-Kabir appears at the top of discontent, threatening journalists with profanity, at a time when members of the Tunisian Football Association were trying to intervene in order to calm down and restore things to normal, but that was not enough as the coach continued his revolution, accusing The sports press in Tunisia is trying to obstruct him and belittle the achievements he has achieved.
The videos showed al-Kabeer’s attack on journalists al-Sahbani and Adalah, saying: “You are not worthy of respect, you are fighting success. If you want me to smother your dignity in the dirt, I am ready for that.”
These expressions provoked violent reactions in the media and sports circles, where the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate took the initiative to issue a strongly worded statement calling on the Football Association to put an end to the series of repeated attacks on media professionals, whether while they were working in following up the team’s activity or club matches.
The Syndicate of Journalists said: “After the coach of the national football team, Munther Al-Kabeer, verbally assaulted fellow journalist Anis Al-Sahbani, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists condemns this irresponsible behavior and the unacceptable reaction of the national coach towards the journalist, and salutes the restraint and professional ethics that the colleague displayed. Anis al-Sahbani.
In the same statement, the union demanded the Football Association and the coach to provide an official and direct apology to the journalist, and also called on sports officials in the federation and clubs to respect journalists and facilitate their work, within the framework of their right to access information.
At a time when the union announced its intention to invite journalists to withdraw from coverage of any press activity in which its members are attacked, a number of sports media professionals launched through the communication sites calls to boycott the press conference, which is expected to be held by the great on Thursday afternoon, except in the event preceded by an official apology from the coach. .
The Tunisian Sports Journalists Association condemned the “serious attack on the sports press by Anis Al-Sahbani and Ahmed Adalah by the coach of the national team.”
In an official statement, the association called on sports media professionals to “exercise restraint, avoid escalation and adhere to professionalism, especially in this delicate period when the football team is preparing to participate in the 2022 African Nations Cup.”
The association confirmed that it “reserves its right to defend all its perspectives,” adding that the president of the Tunisian Football Association, Wadih Al-Jare, took the initiative to apologize to Sahbani, in a “step towards calming the situation.”
Al-Kabeer faces a storm of criticism, which escalated last week when announcing a preliminary list of players who will participate in the nations of Africa, which was devoid of several prominent players such as Youssef Al-Maskani, Ferjani Sassi and Moez Hassan, which prompted many to demand the dismissal of Al-Kabeer to avoid any negative repercussions on the team.
The decision to dismiss assistant coach Adel Al-Sulaimi came a week before the start of the African Nations, to set off another uproar and a fierce campaign against Al-Kabeer and the officials of the Football Association.
Fingers were pointed at the coach of the national team and the president of the Football Association by excluding Al-Sulaimi, because of his rejection of the list of players who were invited to the African Nations Cup.
Tunisia continues its preparations to participate in the tournament, which begins its journey with Mali, Mauritania and Gambia in the first round of Group F.
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