The recent upheaval following a club match in Egypt that left 74 people dead and more than a thousand others injured could have easily convinced Bob Bradley to pack up his things and return to the comfort of the United States.
Instead, the former U.S. national team coach and current Egypt national team coach reportedly remains committed to his job while doing his part in the rebuilding of a nation.
''I'm totally committed,'' Bradley said to Al-Jazeera when asked about his future as Egypt coach. ''When a tragedy like this occurs it's important that people can come together and can be strong, and in my role as coach of the national team I want to do whatever I can in my responsibilities to help with this process.''
Bradley's statement is in line with his post-riot actions. He and his wife participated in a non-violent protest of the violence the day after the Al Ahly-Al Masry match to show solidarity with the Egyptian people.
''This is a much deeper situation than football – really not the case of football fan violence – and I think it is important for people around the world to understand that,'' Bradley said. ''Obviously there is a lot going on in Egypt at this time, events after the revolution, and the football community is connected with all that and certainly some of the Ultras from different clubs, especially Al-Ahly.
''These young people have been responsible for trying to bring about change in the country and these are people that have a passion for Egypt and with it an incredible passion for Egyptian football and their club.''
His task as coach of Egypt has undoubtedly gotten more challenging in light of the tragic events. All soccer activities in Egypt have been suspended in the aftermath of the riot in Port Said, and the country's entire FA board was axed by Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri. On top of that, three Egyptian internationals retired from the sport as a direct result of the tragedy.
Egypt is slated to play in friendlies against Botswana and Kenya later this month followed by the first leg of a 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Central African Republic on Feb. 29, but there has been no determination yet whether those games will go ahead as planned.
————–
What do you make of Bradley's remarks?
Share your thoughts below.