Rui Vitoria has revealed that having the opportunity of managing Mohamed Salah on the international level was one of the reasons why he accepted the role of Egypt National Team manager.
The 52-year-old was appointed Egypt manager last July replacing Ehab Galal, and his era with the Pharaohs had a good start with friendly victories against Chad and Liberia in the September international break.
Vitoria also guided the Pharaohs to a 2-1 victory against 2018 FIFA World Cup bronze medalists Belgium in his third game in charge of the Egyptian National Team.
The Portuguese manager spoke about the circumstances of receiving Egypt’s offer revealing the reasons behind accepting the offer.
“After leaving Spartak Moscow, I opted to spend some time with my family. However, after receiving Egypt’s offer I started to think about it,” Vitoria spoke to “OnTime Sports” TV Channel.
“I chose to manage a national team instead of a club because I had never had the chance to manage on the International level which I believe was a missing step in my career,”
Despite receiving multiple offers from other national teams, Vitoria believed that managing Mohamed Salah was one of the reasons that convinced him to accept Egypt’s offer.
“There was interest from other national teams as well, however, Egypt’s project was good, as they offered a four-year deal, and it was an important reason for me personally,”
Moreover, it gives me the opportunity to manage Mohamed Salah, one of the best players in the world at the moment. I was so delighted with the negotiation process.”
“Egypt is a big country, with 120 million people. There are plenty of challenges here. Egypt shouldn’t reach the FIFA World Cup by accident, it should be a routine.”
“We are already planning to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but this requires a transformation for many of the players cause they are approaching the end of their international careers.”
“I believe we will see Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Vitoria concluded.
