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Mido loaned out to Celta de Vigo after all

15 March: Egyptian Ajacied, Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam, will join Spanish Primera División side Celta de Vigo with immediate effect, to play for the current #5 in Spain's highest division until the end of this season. Ajax receives some 160,000 euros for the three-month loan.

Mido (20) joined Ajax prior to the start of the 2001-2002 season, coming from Belgian First Class club AA Ghent. He had a rather unsuccesful start, but ended up being the hero of the season, scoring ten goals in Ajax's long winning streak at season's end, to clinch the 2002 Dutch championship.

This season, he got into a conflict with head-coach Ronald Koeman and was removed from the Ajax-1 squad on no less than three occasions, for displinary reasons. The last time was on 28 February, on which date Ajax announced that the ban would this time last until season's end.

Mido's agent, Christophe Henrotay, soon announced that Celta de Vido was interested in a loan. However, UEFA and FIFA did not approve, since the European transfer window was already closed. Celta de Vigo then appealed to the specifically Spanish 'calamity rule', which says that a club can contract a new player after the closing of the transfer window if an official member of the club's first team is injured for longer than five months. At Celta de Vido, this is the case with Sebastian Mendez, am Argentinian defender. AS Celta appealed to this rule, the FIFA gave its permission for the transfer.

Mido will join the squad of coach Miguel Angel Lotina this Sunday. Ajax's technical director, Leo Beenhakker, said he was very pleased about the deal: "This is a very satisfactory solution for both parties. It's good for Mido's development. With Young Ajax he would be playing at a lower level and his presence could also have caused tension. Now he can go to the number five in Spain until the end of the season - and things will be peaceful over here." (MP)

(Source: Ajax.nl)