Out-of-the-box alternative: Al-Ahli Saudi signs Posetic in a surprise move!

Most predictions had Al-Ahli closing in on other European names. Then "the classy one" turned to the Dutch coach instead, a decision that caught fans and followers off guard.

The switch has raised plenty of questions about what comes next. Posecki inherits a team that holds the AFC Champions League Elite title and now faces a season packed with challenges at home and across the continent.

Al-Ahly revealed that the deal with the Dutch coach runs for two seasons, keeping him in charge until June 2028. The move confirms the management's desire to give the new technical staff enough stability to build a long-term project, rather than reach for temporary solutions.

Posecki gets to work straight away as he prepares for the start of the new season. Big challenges await. Chief among them: maintaining Al-Ahly's continental standing and continuing to fight for every domestic title, with expectations sky-high after the team's successes in recent years.

Marino Pusic arrived at Al-Ahli with a varied coaching career behind him, one spent moving between European and Gulf football. He worked at the Dutch clubs Twente, Alkmaar and Feyenoord, serving on Feyenoord's technical staff under the renowned Arne Slot. There he helped the team win the Dutch league title in 2022-2023 and reach the Europa League final in 2021-2022.

His first major accomplishment came at Twente, where he led the club back to the Dutch top flight after winning the Eerste Divisie in 2018-2019. A more successful spell with Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk followed.

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At Shakhtar he won the Ukrainian league title and lifted the Ukrainian Cup twice. He left his mark in the Champions League too, most notably with a group-stage victory over Barcelona.

Al-Jazira in the UAE was his most recent stop. He guided the team to AFC Champions League qualification and to the final of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup, taking the club back to that final for the first time in years. The achievement boosted his standing before the move to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia.

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