Football-Egypt - Egypt's Ismaily club President Yehia Al-Komy, Tuesday resigned after only 16 days at the helm of the country's third most successful football club. Al-Komy said his decision was in protest against the current financial woes facing the coastal club.

The Ismailiya-based club is facing a serious financial crisis due to the lack of funding.

Some players have not received parts of last season's salaries, while others have not been paid their bonuses after finishing third in the league behind Cairo's big two, Ahly and Zamalek.

Ismaily star international midfielder Hosny Adb-Rabou has threatened to terminate his contract with the club, and is already a target of Ahly and Zamalek.

Other players, also complaining of not receiving their financial rights, joined Abd-Rabou in protest at their training ground under the watchful eyes of Zamalek's former head coach Hossam Hassan who joined Ismaily just a few weeks ago.

Al-Komy had promised to bring to the club new sources of funding, before he finally admitted that he could not work on his own, and asked in vain for support from the Egyptian National Sports Council and the Ismailiya governor.

Three of the board members resigned early Tuesday, in objection to Al-Komy’s unfulfilled promises to end the club's debt burden.

Over the years, Ismaily's football team, which is regarded by many as Egypt's Brazil, has been losing home-grown stars to the richer Ahly and Zamalek.

Ismaily was the first Egyptian football club to lift an African trophy, when the Darawish won the 1969 edition of the champions league.

Pana 25/08/2011