English Premier League
Al-Ahli boss Marino Pusic breaks silence after 3-0 defeat by Al-Hilal
Marino Pusic has addressed Al-Ahli Saudi FC’s heavy 3-0 defeat by rivals Al-Hilal for the first time, but his comments have raised questions over whether the Dutch manager intended to play down the scale of the loss.
Al-Ahli were beaten by Al-Hilal in the postponed fixture from the third round of the Roshn Saudi League on Tuesday. The match was played at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, where Al-Hilal secured a comprehensive victory over their traditional rivals.
Pusic did not attend the post-match news conference after the derby because his interpreter had been sent off during the game and no replacement was available.
The Al-Ahli manager returned to face the media on Thursday, speaking ahead of Friday’s meeting with Al-Riyadh at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. That match will be Al-Ahli’s fixture in the fifth round of the Roshn Saudi League.
In comments published by Al-Ahli’s official account on X, Pusic said: “We were not lucky in the last two matches, especially as they were away from home, and now we have to overcome that and focus on the next stage.”
The reference to a lack of fortune in the team’s previous two games came after the 3-0 loss to Al-Hilal, prompting debate over whether Pusic was seeking to reduce the significance of the result rather than analyse the defeat in detail.
Turning his attention to the match against Al-Riyadh, Pusic said: “Tomorrow’s match is difficult, and the league requires a high level of concentration in every game, so we have to be ready and deal with the match in the appropriate way.”
Al-Ahli will have home support behind them in Jeddah, and Pusic believes that could provide an important advantage.
“We are playing at home and in front of our fans, and this gives us extra motivation. We aim to make use of this advantage to achieve victory,” he said.
The manager also outlined his approach to improving the squad, adding: “We work every day to develop the team in various aspects, and we focus on the details that help us produce a better level.”
Al-Ahli’s schedule has been made more demanding by the succession of matches. Pusic said: “The ongoing matches make the schedule crowded, so it is important to manage it well.”
He also explained that the club’s new arrivals would need time to settle, while stressing the importance of maintaining the fitness and wellbeing of the entire squad.
“The new players need some time to adapt, and at the same time we are keen to ensure everyone is ready and safe, taking into account that the number of foreign players permitted to participate in the league is eight,” Pusic said.
Al-Ahli will now look to respond against Al-Riyadh after suffering the damaging defeat by Al-Hilal in their most recent league outing.
