Mohamed El-Tayar (27) is the only Egyptian coming Liqui Moly Handball Bundesliga on Sunday to Leipzig – to nail down the goal of newly promoted Balingen.
But it is thanks to the SC DHfK that the national goalkeeper ended up in Germany at all.
The club was in trouble in January 2022 because Joel Birlehm left for the Rhein-Neckar Löwen.
Leipzig was desperately looking for a new goalkeeper – and found one at Al Ahly Sports Club in Cairo.
Leipzig’s managing director Karsten Günther (42) remembers: “It was an emergency situation. And it was about: Where is someone free who can help us? Of course we called God and the world and then had a few candidates on the table. And he was the one who our goalkeeping coach Milos Putera said after watching the videos and the first impressions that he was a good guy. And that it is conceivable that the club will let him out too. Especially since Mo really wanted to go to the Bundesliga. And then we did that.”
However, the negotiations dragged on quite a bit. Günther: “The time difference, the language, that was complicated. And when everything was basically already agreed, it was always said, you have to talk to the president again and with this and with that. And suddenly they wanted more money. In the meantime it was like being at the bazaar. But it all worked out in the end – even though it was exciting right up to the last minute.”
Leipzig paid a transfer fee of 40,000 euros at the time. And AGAINST Balingen he was in goal for the first time. What Günther also remembers to this day: “We played in Hamburg during Ramadan. Directly behind the gate was the VIP room – and the whole hall smelled of food and the plates were clattering. And he wasn’t allowed to eat anything. I just thought, poor guy. But he held up well.”
The initially planned six months actually turned into a year and a half. However, last summer it was decided To bring Domenico Ebner from Hanover. Günther: “Because Mo really wanted to stay in the Bundesliga, we spoke to Jens Bürkle and Wolfgang Strobel in Balingen and said, you definitely have to take a look at him.”
After a trial training session, they decided on him.
Sunday we’ll see you again. Günther: “I’m happy. He’s a good guy.”