After the Clásico treble: did the Al-Ahly coach deliberately downplay Al-Hilal's win? | Goal.com

Veröffentlicht am 03 Sep 2026 | Lesezeit: 2 Minuten

Dutchman Marino Pusic, the manager of Saudi side Al-Ahli, has stirred controversy once again after resurfacing in the wake of the recent Clasico against traditional rivals Al-Hilal.

Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Ahli 3-0 in the postponed third-round fixture of the Roshn League, played the day before yesterday, Tuesday, at the Kingdom Arena in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Pusic skipped the post-match press conference. His personal interpreter had been sent off during the game, and no replacement was available.

The Dutch manager finally addressed the heavy defeat today, Thursday, at the press conference ahead of tomorrow's clash with Al-Riyadh. That fifth-round Roshn League tie takes place on Friday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

Speaking in remarks carried by Al-Ahli's official account on X, Pusic said: "Fortune did not favour us in the last two matches, especially as they were away from home, and now we must move past that and focus on the next stage."

Turning to the Al-Riyadh game, he explained: "Tomorrow's clash is difficult, and the league demands high concentration in every match, so we must be ready and approach the match in the appropriate manner."

He added: "We are playing at home amid our fans, and this gives us an extra motivation, and we are looking to make use of this advantage to secure the win."

He continued: "We work daily on developing the team in various aspects, and we focus on the details that help us deliver a better level."

Pusic went on: "The succession of matches makes the schedule congested, so it is important to handle it well."

He concluded: "The new players need some time to adapt, and at the same time we are keen on everyone's readiness and safety, taking into account that the permitted number for participation in the league is 8 foreign players."

Lesen Sie die Originalnachricht