Al-Ahli Fans Demand Pusic's Exit After Mini-Clasico Loss
By half-time at SHG Arena, the scoreline wasn’t the loudest statement. The stands were.
As the referee signalled the end of the first half of the mini-Clasico between Al-Shabab and Al-Ahli Saudi, a furious chorus rolled down from the away end in Riyadh: “Pusic out.” Clear. Unforgiving. A verdict delivered before the second half had even begun.
Al-Ahli had arrived in the capital for the twelfth round of the Roshn League with expectations of a statement performance. Instead, they trudged into the dressing room 3-1 down, outplayed and outnumbered after a chaotic opening 45 minutes that shredded the patience of their travelling support.
The turning point came early. In the 22nd minute, “the Elegant” goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi was sent off, leaving Al-Ahli to navigate the rest of the contest with ten men. Al-Shabab seized the advantage and carved out a string of clear chances, cutting through a shaken defence that never truly reset after the dismissal.
Three of those opportunities were buried. Several more went begging. The 3-1 score at the interval almost flattered Al-Ahli.
The fans had seen enough.
What followed was not a smattering of boos or isolated frustration. It was organised, collective anger aimed squarely at Dutch coach Marino Pusic. As the players headed for the tunnel, the chant grew louder, unified and relentless: a demand for the coach’s dismissal, echoing around SHG Arena.
This wasn’t an isolated outburst born solely from a bad half of football. The relationship between Pusic and sections of the Al-Ahli fanbase has been strained for weeks. Supporters had already voiced their displeasure on several occasions this season, and not only about tactics or results.
One flashpoint has been the signing of Ukrainian midfielder Artem Bondarenko from Shakhtar. Many Al-Ahli fans have openly questioned the move, and Pusic has been a central target of that criticism, seen by some as the driving force behind a decision they never embraced.
The irony is that, on paper, his record hardly screams crisis.
Pusic, who took over at the start of the current campaign from German coach Matthias Jaissle, has guided Al-Ahli through 16 matches in all competitions. His numbers: 11 wins, four defeats, and a single draw. A solid return for a man still bedding into Saudi football and a demanding club environment.
Yet numbers don’t always calm emotions in a club of Al-Ahli’s size and ambition. Performances, style, transfer calls, big-game moments — they all weigh heavily. A mini-Clasico away to Al-Shabab, with the season’s narrative still being written, was exactly the kind of night when a coach’s authority is either reinforced or ripped apart.
In Riyadh, at least among the travelling faithful, the verdict rang out before the players even re-emerged for the second half. The scoreboard told one story. The stands told another, harsher one: patience with Marino Pusic is running out, and the margin for error is shrinking fast.
