Al-Ahli dismiss sporting director Rui Pedro following supporter backlash

Al-Ahli have cancelled sporting director Rui Pedro’s contract after supporters launched a campaign calling for his removal over the club’s handling of the summer transfer window.

Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed announced the decision in a post on his personal account on X, writing that Al-Ahli’s management had decided to terminate the Portuguese official’s contract.

The move came only hours after Al-Ahli fans intensified their criticism of Pedro, whose recruitment strategy had drawn widespread anger among the club’s supporters.

The backlash began with the signing of Ukrainian midfielder Artem Bondarenko from Shakhtar Donetsk. Supporters questioned the decision to bring in Bondarenko, arguing that he was not of the required standard, particularly because he was expected to replace Ivory Coast international Franck Kessie.

Kessie was among the prominent players to leave Al-Ahli during a turbulent summer for the Saudi club. The team also parted ways with Algeria forward Riyad Mahrez, while German manager Matthias Jaissle was not retained and subsequently moved to Newcastle United.

Supporters’ frustration increased further when reports emerged that Al-Ahli were close to signing French midfielder Pape Cabral from Monaco. Cabral made only 114 minutes of appearances for the Ligue 1 club during the previous season.

Fans accused Pedro of wasting the club’s financial resources, with reports claiming Al-Ahli would pay 12m euros for the Senegalese-born player despite his reported market value being only 1.2m euros.

The dispute over the proposed deal added to concerns about a sequence of decisions that supporters viewed as evidence of confusion in the club’s transfer planning. Their campaign ultimately ended with the cancellation of Pedro’s contract.

An announcement shared on social media stated: “Officially | Rui Pedro’s contract with Al-Ahli has been cancelled.”

Pedro had been Al-Ahli’s sporting director since October last year. Before joining the Saudi club, he held the same position at Portuguese side Benfica between 2021 and 2025.

His departure comes during a period of significant change at Al-Ahli, with the club having already lost key players and its former manager while attempting to reshape its squad during the current summer transfer window.

The Saudi side’s supporters had made their objections clear through the campaign against Pedro, focusing particularly on the recruitment of Bondarenko and the reported pursuit of Cabral. Their pressure led to the removal of the official only a short time after the protests began.

Al-Ahli’s decision means the club must now address the vacancy in its sporting structure while continuing its preparations for the new season.