Angry Marino Pusic challenges questions over Al Ahli future after 6-1 defeat

Marino Pusic reacted angrily when asked whether he feared losing his job as Al Ahli manager after his side’s heavy 6-1 defeat by Al Shabab.

Al Shabab secured a dominant victory in the Roshn Saudi League meeting at SHG Arena in Riyadh on Friday, leaving Pusic facing questions about his position after a result he described as unexpected.

Asked at his post-match news conference whether the game could prove to be his final match in charge of Al Ahli, the Dutchman replied: “You should be ashamed of the question,” according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Pusic accepted responsibility for the performance but said the scale of the defeat had been difficult to anticipate.

“We lost by a big and unexpected scoreline,” he said. “We made many individual errors. The fans have the right to express what they feel, and I am a professional coach.”

He added that mistakes made early in the match had left Al Ahli with an almost impossible task.

“The individual errors and the fact that we made them in the first 25 minutes made everything difficult,” said Pusic. “We had won five matches in a row. I apologise to the fans, and we promise them that we will work hard in the next match against Al Sadd.”

Al Ahli are due to travel to Qatar to face Al Sadd on Monday in the fourth round of the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite.

The fixture is listed for 02 November 2026, while Al Ahli’s next Roshn Saudi League match is against Abha on 05 November 2026. Al Shabab were the opponents in Friday’s match.

Pusic took charge of Al Ahli at the start of the current season, replacing German manager Matthias Jaissle. He has overseen 17 matches since then, recording 11 victories, five defeats and one draw.

The defeat by Al Shabab ended a run of five consecutive wins for Al Ahli and came in the 12th round of the Roshn Saudi League.