Hossam Hassan, the head coach of the Egyptian national team, revealed details of a serious health crisis he experienced in complete secrecy before the 2026 World Cup; he underwent a cardiac catheterization and had three stents installed without anyone knowing at the time.

Dr. Gamal Shaaban, former dean of the Heart Institute, confirmed via his official Facebook page that "the Brigadier" suffered severe chest pain due to the immense pressure he was facing upon his return from a national team camp in the UAE at the time, where he arrived at the airport at three in the morning accompanied by his brother Ibrahim Hassan and captain Tarek Soliman.

Shaaban explained that Hossam Hassan was admitted to Green Heart Hospital during the last ten days of last Ramadan, where he underwent cardiac catheterization before resuming his activities and continuing his coaching duties with the Pharaohs.

The former dean of the Heart Institute noted that the national team's head coach personally assured him that the matter remained under complete secrecy, and no information leaked to the media despite the sensitive timing coinciding with the qualifiers and intensive preparations for the World Cup.

Hossam Hassan said in a television interview: "I underwent two surgeries and catheterization, and had three stents installed recently. I used to ignore the criticism and pretend not to see it, but the truth is that I saw it all, and they were questioning my technical abilities."

The head coach of the Pharaohs added: "It is said that I favor players, but the truth is that I put God first. I love constructive criticism and benefit from it, but what happened was a direct accusation that I know nothing about football."

Hossam Hassan participated in the special episode presented by media figure Mona El-Shazly, along with a number of his family members, in a meeting that revealed human aspects of the life of the coach who led the Egyptian national team during one of the most difficult periods that Egyptian football has ever experienced.

This is the first time that Hossam Hassan has publicly disclosed the details of his health crisis, at a time when he was fighting a dual battle: one against the disease, and the other against a wave of severe criticism that targeted his technical style and tactical choices with the national team.