Marcel Koller at Al Ahly: The man tasked with bringing trophies back to Egypt’s most successful club – tactical analysis

Since the inception of the Egyptian Premier League in 1948, Al Ahly have displayed a spectacular level of dominance. They have won 42 league titles, 37 Egypt Cups, 12 Egyptian Super Cups. This show of authority is not purely on the domestic stage, it extends to a continental level as Al Ahly are the holders of a record 10 CAF Champions League titles. 

The 2019/20 season was the last time that Al Ahly lifted the Egyptian Premier League title, they also won the CAF Champions League that year and retained it a year later. The league campaign in 2020/21 saw Al Ahly finish second. The following season, they finished third. This was the first time they had finished outside the top 2 since 1992. To add to the bitter disappointment, rivals Zamalek won the title on both occasions. In August 2022, then-manager Ricardo Soares was relieved of his post having not only failed to reclaim the league title from Zamalek but also losing to them in the Egypt Cup Final. 

The man charged with restoring Al Ahly back to their best? Marcel Koller. The 62-year-old was part of the legendary Zurich Grasshoppers team throughout the eighties and nineties. Since retiring in ‘97, Koller has made a name for himself in management which has seen him at the helm of various clubs in his native Switzerland and Germany, including a four-year stint at Vfl Bochum in the Bundesliga. 

From 2011-2017 Koller enjoyed a stint as manager of the Austrian national team where he guided the team to qualification for the 2016 European Championships (their only previous qualification coming in 2008 as hosts). Under Koller’s guidance, the Austrian national team rose to tenth in the FIFA World Rankings  its highest-ever position. 

After a spell in charge of Basel, Koller has taken on the task of bringing success back to Egypt and Africa’s most successful club. So far, he has enjoyed quite a brilliant start. Al Ahly are top of the league and remain unbeaten with 12 wins and five draws. Having conceded only six goals in 17 games, the Al Ahly defence looks to be impenetrable.

Al Ahly recently took part in the FIFA Club World Cup where they enjoyed first and second-round victories against New Zealand outfit Auckland City and MLS side Seattle Sounders. The semi-final against footballing giants Real Madrid proved to be too much as the Egyptian side were beaten 4-1.

This tactical analysis will dissect the tactics that Marcel Koller has used to ensure that the Egyptian club return to the top. This analysis will show how Koller sets his team up both in the attacking and defensive phases and how they carry out his tactics.

Preferred formations

Koller primarily sets his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This formation provides a good balance between attack and defence as the two defensive midfielders provide cover for the backline. This can help to control possession, break up opposition attacks, and initiate counterattacks.

This particular tactical setup is popular as it lends itself to suit different styles of play. The attacking midfielder can play as a central playmaker or as a wide forward, while the full-backs can provide width in attack or drop back to defend.