Al Ahli could face a payment of almost 50m Saudi riyals to terminate Marino Pusic’s contract, according to legal adviser Ahmed Al-Sheikh.
The Dutch manager’s appointment has been described as the “disaster of the season” after he was brought in at the start of the current campaign to replace Matthias Jaissle, who left the club unexpectedly.
Speaking on the Nadina programme, Al-Sheikh said Pusic’s contract had created a significant legal risk for Al Ahli because it was agreed for two binding years and included high salaries and guaranteed payments made in advance.
He said the deal did not contain a clear exit mechanism to protect the club if it decided to end the arrangement early.
As a result, terminating the contract could cost Al Ahli about 50m riyals. Al-Sheikh said the agreement did not include a reduced compensation clause allowing the club to bring the contract to an end by paying the equivalent of three or six months’ wages.
That leaves the settlement of the remaining payments as one of the most difficult issues facing the club’s administration.
Al Ahli can appoint another manager
Despite the unresolved dispute, Al-Sheikh said Al Ahli could appoint a new manager and place him in charge of the team before reaching a final settlement with Pusic.
He explained that the financial and legal problems surrounding the existing contract would not prevent the club from taking that step.
If Pusic rejects a proposed settlement, Al Ahli could leave the matter to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Al-Sheikh added.
He also said disputes involving coaching contracts do not result in sporting punishments such as a registration ban, meaning Al Ahli would be able to continue making decisions without waiting for the case to be fully resolved.
The situation places the club’s management under pressure as it weighs the desire to end Pusic’s tenure against a potential cost of almost 50m riyals.
Al-Sheikh also dismissed the likelihood of Al Ahli being placed under active financial monitoring. He said the club was among the lowest-spending of the major teams and should have a financial surplus from the support available to it.
That, he suggested, would reduce the possibility of the club being subjected to such a measure.
The dispute has therefore developed beyond a question of coaching performance, becoming a substantial legal and financial issue for Al Ahli. The club must now seek a solution that allows it to pursue a change in the dugout without damaging either the team’s stability or its finances.
