LONDON: It has been a whirlwind week for Al-Ahli, with the announcement of Matthias Jaissle’s departure followed today by the confirmation of Marino Pusic as new head coach.
The Dutch-Bosnian manager has some big shoes to fill in Jeddah. Just three months after lifting a second successive AFC Champions League trophy and with eyes set on the new season and a challenge for the Saudi Pro League title on the cards, there has been an enforced change. The idea is, however, evolution rather than revolution.
Nobody would argue that Pusic is a big name coach, certainly compared to some of the figures who had been linked with the job by the Red Sea. At 54, he is 16 years older than his predecessor but has yet to take charge of an elite European club.
His experience is varied however. He led Dutch club Twente to promotion to the top tier in 2019, finishing first by a margin of 10 points. He then moved to AZ Alkmaar to work with head coach Arne Slot — the former Liverpool boss was linked to the Ahli job — and then moved with him to Feyenoord. His next position as number one was in 2023 with Shakhtar Donetsk when he was soon leading the club to the Ukrainian title. His latest job was with Al-Jazira in the UAE, where he led the Abu Dhabi club into fourth and back into the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time since 2022. A little bit of time in the region must have helped persuade the bosses at Al-Ahli.
Despite that record, it is not the kind of CV that will excite the Green Army but those bosses will say there is more to it than just the past jobs. The hope is that Pusic’s philosophy and the style of play should result in a relatively smooth transition.
His tactical outlook closely matches the methods that the side has embraced in recent seasons under Jaissle. Pusic prefers an attacking game, aggressive pressing and tactical adaptability, with considerable emphasis on possession and swift attacking transitions. Those same principles also defined Al-Ahli’s identity in the past three seasons under the new Newcastle United coach, helping propel the side to major success on the continent.
For that very reason, Ahli bosses expect the squad to avoid any sweeping stylistic overhaul. So there is unlikely to be a lot of new players coming in to fit a new playing style, there is no time anyway, but just a fine tuning from the new man. The incoming coaching staff must refine the existing concepts rather than undergoing a drastic rebuild from the ground up. Such continuity may provide the side with greater technical steadiness which, as the new season is just a few days away, is crucial.
That is an issue. Jaissle was a successful coach in his three seasons. He took over a newly promoted team though one that was bolstered by a raft of new signings such as Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino, to name just two. He still was able to blend it all together and take the club to third, fifth (though with more points) and third again, with the last season bringing a genuine title challenge. Jaissle will be remembered for his twin Asian titles as well as his style of football.
If he had left after lifting the trophy in May to give Al-Ahli more than three months to prepare for the new season, it is quite possible that there would be a different coach coming in. But Pusic coming in is, at least, partly, about continuity and doing as much as can to ensure a smooth transition.
As always, it depends on results. Had Jaissle not left, the focus this season would surely have been on becoming Saudi Arabian champions for just the second time since 1984. That will not change much but any trophy would be welcome as Pusic is going to have to deal with the exit of Mahrez as well as Franck Kessie and hit the ground running with little time to prepare.
There will be a lot of attention on Jaissle going to the English Premier League. Who knows? If Pusic can repeat that success then clubs from around the world will notice but the immediate focus is on getting a good start to the season against Diriyah next Thursday.
