Last Monday, it seemed that there was no ceiling for Dagenham. The National League club announced cooperation with two Egyptians who allegedly came with the Dream. At an urgent meeting with the fans, the management even hinted at the opportunity to repeat the path of Rexem-with a lift to the Premier League for ten years.

The millionaire-blogger and actor Marvan Serry became a co-owner of the club, and with him a new development director-Salma Mashhur-came. Their mission is to turn Dagena into a favorite club for fans from the Middle East. “We are very pleased to cooperate with Marvan and Salma,” said the head of the club Daniel Hall from the Sky Sports screens.

But euphoria did not last long. Instead of a breakthrough – a diplomatic scandal with a political taste. The events unfolded rapidly:

Mashur was released through publications in support of Hamas;
Serry has broken all connections with the club and hints at the litigation;
The Egyptian media accused the Jewish lobby and the Zionist voices of influencing English football;
The club was under pressure from local Muslim communities.

A few months ago, such a scenario would seem fantastic. Serry clearly gave the instruction: to find an English club that plays in red – for the sake of emotional connection with Mohammed Salah. When they stopped on Dagenma, everything looked like love at first sight. The club believed that they would be able to fly on the wave of Egyptian football Renaissance.

“See how Egyptian football blossoms: Salah remains in Liverpool, Marble moves to Manchester City,” – glad Hall then, making plans for a bright future.

However, the reaction of old club fans, founded in 1881, was restrained. Many were alerted by Serry confession: “I, to be honest, not much money.” However, Mashhur assured: “Our long-term goal is the Premier League. This is a dream.”

But in a matter of hours, everything began to crumble. Journalist David Collers called Mashur’s appearance in a display club in a post on X, pointing to her old publication, where she “fully understands Hamas and the events of October 7 – accusing everything of Israel.” “50 years of my club support is everything,” he added.

The post, which Mashur posted on Instagram on October 30, 2023 (and later removed), caused a wave of indignation. She wrote in it: “I do not condemn Hamas. Self -defense is not terrorism … Palestine will be free.” Mashur is a popular blogger who regularly illuminates the APL, but this time she was at the center of a completely different attention.

The posts about her appeared in response to the memes about TV presenter Pierce Morgan, who often asked the question “Do you condemn Hamas?” Mashhur reacted by a publication where I explicitly stated: “I do not condemn Hamas, but condemn brutal occupation, apartheid, violation of international law and illegal settlements that caused this genocide.” In another video, she suggested that the attack on October 7 could be a beneficial Israeli government against the backdrop of internal protests against Netanyag.

From a football scandal – to diplomatic At the local level, the reaction was rigid. Labor MP Margaret Malline demanded an immediate meeting with the club’s leadership due to the “extremely worrying” situation. And the petition on Change.org demanding to release Mashhur quickly gained momentum – her posts were called the justification of terrorism and violation of the club’s values.

On Thursday, Dagena officially announced the immediate release of Mashhur.

But the story did not end there. In Egypt, the decisions were perceived with indignation. Serry spoke in defense of Mashhur and condemned her release. In the video he posted shortly after the scandal, a struck Mashhur sat next to him. “It’s unacceptable … I was not warned about it, and I’m not going to remain silent,” he said.

“I ask you: do not go to the match tomorrow,” Serry added, promising to personally offset the ticket price. “We completely reject the club’s actions …”.

The next day he left the club, breaking all the connections. “We do not sell principles,” Serry said, announcing legal steps against Dagenham.

But the consequences go far beyond one club. The event threatens to develop into a diplomatic crisis between Britain and Egypt. In Cairo herself, it became the top new. The presenter Ibrahim Abdel Gavad said on social networks: “Britain says about the protection of human and animal rights, but the Salma Mashur situation shows that the event is valid according to double standards and prejudice with those who have a different opinion.”

The Egyptian journalist told The Telegraph that this story “poured salts on wounds” – because many Egyptians consider English football to be pro -Israeli. The appointment of Mashur, he said, was seen as a progressive step – it already had a reputation for the future star of Arab media. But her rapid liberation turned hope into deep disappointment.

The Al-Masry Al-Youm and Cairo 24 Media hit, calling Collera a “Zionist provocateur”, and put the blame for the release of Mashhur on the “Jewish Lobby”. Cairo 24 stated: “The influence of Proustraies’ votes on British football is indisputable”, pointing on political pressure from the Jewish communities of Ilford and Redbridge, which said, and became a decisive factor in the situation.

Muslim communities put pressure on the club Salma Mashur and her business partner Ahmed Serry never hid Palestine’s support. Serry, the founder of the popular Egyptian football page Erza3, has repeatedly posted a photo with a captain bandage in Palestine colors. He even criticized Mohammed Salah for a very careful position on Gaza. “But these are not all the consequences,” one of the leading voices of Egyptian media said. “While indignation in Egypt is growing, and pro-Palestinian voices are becoming more loud, Dagena and Redbridge’s pressure-and all British football is only intensifying political statements.”

The situation is also complicated by pressure from local Muslim communities. On Sunday, it became known that Darul Ihasaan Mosque sent an official complaint to the club: “We are deeply disappointed with the news of the release … especially given the pressure from high -profile anti -Arab groups.”

“Racist voices do not represent the diverse and vivid community of Dagenham,” – emphasized in the mosque. “The club has to change the course.”

Arabian expansion The situation has grown into toxic. Club social networks were the battlefield: subscribers grew at a rapid pace – from 13 thousand to more than 300 thousand in just two days. But it brought not so much popularity as enmity. Some of the new fans have proclaimed Dagena – now the Arab Club, which caused indignation among local fans. “We have a little one who is fighting for survival and lost the opportunity to communicate freely,” one of the fans in the forum said.

“I will no longer recognize my club,” one of the Jewish fans admitted bitterly, demanding a refund for the purchased VIP. Another fan compared the speech of a new owner with the floor The player’s fifa player, for whom a football club is just a virtual entertainment. The atmosphere around Dagenham reached such tension that even the head coach Lewis Young, brother Ashley Yang, decided to temporarily remove and focus on football.

“It seemed all that was just a loud media performance,” another fan wrote. “Serra had no money, but there were ambitions that had nothing to do with reality. And everything ended worse than could be imagined”

For fans, it was a week that raised more questions than answers. Many accuse Dan Holla’s chairman of the reign. “It seems that a pro-Palestinian protest is planned at the club’s office,” wrote Fan Account Once A Dagger. “Thank you, Dan Hall, for drawing the club into this mess.”

The ray of light appeared except on the field. After a protracted series of failures, Dagena won and continued the struggle for survival. But even three points in the Easter weekend are not able to hide the unprecedented, truly holy chaos on Victoria Road.

The Telegraph and The athletic.