Marino Pusic to arrive in Jeddah as Al Ahli begin preparations for new Saudi Pro League season

Marino Pusic is due to arrive in Jeddah on Thursday evening to begin his work as Al Ahli’s new head coach, with the Saudi club’s first competitive fixture of the season just one week away.

Al Ahli announced early on Thursday that they had appointed the Dutchman on a contract running for two seasons and ending in 2028. Pusic succeeds German manager Matthias Jaissle, who has left the club to take charge of English Premier League side Newcastle United.

According to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah, Pusic will land in the western Saudi city later on Thursday and start his new role immediately.

The 54-year-old faces a demanding introduction to life at Al Ahli, with the Saudi Pro League campaign scheduled to begin in only seven days. His first official match will come on 13 August, when Al Ahli face Al-Diriyah in the opening round of the competition.

Pusic will therefore have little time to assess his squad or impose his methods before the start of the new season. Al Ahli are aiming to win the Saudi league title for the first time since 2016, while also attempting to retain the AFC Champions League Elite crown they have won in each of the past two seasons.

The club, known by the nickname “Al-Raqi”, have already completed seven friendly matches as part of their preparations. Six of those fixtures were played during training camps in Austria and Portugal under Jaissle, before the German coach’s departure.

Al Ahli recorded only one victory during that sequence, beating Austrian side SV Saalfelden 8-0.

They suffered four defeats, losing to Germany’s Holstein Kiel, Portuguese clubs Vitoria Guimaraes and Portimonense, and Saudi side Al-Ettifaq. The remaining two matches ended in draws, with Al Ahli sharing the points with Portuguese team Rio Ave and English club Fulham.

Pusic arrives after a spell working with Shakhtar Donetsk, where he had been part of the coaching staff before taking on senior managerial responsibilities. His appointment marks the beginning of a new phase for Al Ahli following Jaissle’s move to Newcastle United.

The immediate priority for the new head coach will be to prepare the team for the meeting with Al-Diriyah and ensure the squad is ready for the opening round of the Saudi Pro League. Beyond that first fixture, Pusic will be expected to lead the club’s pursuit of domestic success and help defend its continental title.