Matthew Kenyon BBC Sport, Cairo

Jose has guided Ahly to 12 titles in the past three years

Al Ahly coach Manuel Jose has been backed by a key board member at the club.

Jose was barracked and abused by sections of the crowd after his side were beaten in the second leg of the final of the Champions League.

They went down 3-1 to the new title holders, Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel, in the Cairo Stadium on Friday.

But Ahly Director Khaled Mortagy told the BBC's African sports programme Fast Track that he hopes Jose stays to help regenerate the side.

"Manuel Jose is a great man, and of great value to the club," he said.

"No-one else has achieved what he has in the 100 year history of the club, and I hope he will always stay with us."

Jose has guided Ahly to 12 titles in the past three years - including two consecutive Champions League crowns.

He also took them to the Champions League title in a previous stint with the club.

He recently signed a one year contract extension, believed to last until the end of the current Egyptian season.

Some Ahly fans also think the core of the present team is too old.

But Mortagey insisted experience is important, using AC Milan's success in the European Champions League last season as an example.

Instead, he pointed to player burn-out as a big problem.

"If you look at the last three years our players took something like ten or eleven days rest, which is not enough," he said.

"You look at any club, and players need at least four weeks to rest, but unfortunately this is not the case in Egypt."

Nevertheless, he remains confident that Al Ahly can once again dominate in Africa.