Merih Demiral's Heated Reaction After Al-Ahli's Loss

Merih Demiral left the pitch beaten. He did not leave it quietly.

Al-Ahli had just fallen 3-2 to Al Qadsiah on Tuesday night, a result that tightened the Saudi Pro League title race and left the Turkish defender seething. He had been unable to shut down the opposition attack, watched Tijjani Reijnders score twice and walk away with man of the match, and then saw the celebrations spill over online.

That was the spark.

Al Qadsiah’s official X account posted a photo of Demiral staring at a phone, paired with a taunting caption: “As always, you can find the pain of defeat on his account.” It was a direct shot at a player already simmering after a costly loss. The post did not stay on the timeline for long.

Demiral saw it and went hunting for answers in person. According to reports, he stormed into the Al Qadsiah dressing room after the match, demanding to know who ran the club’s account. He pushed for an apology and insisted the mocking post be taken down. Eventually, it was removed.

The anger did not come out of nowhere. The 28-year-old, once of Juventus, has built a reputation in Saudi Arabia as a defender who does not handle defeat lightly. In April, after Al-Ahli lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League, Demiral reacted again. That time he turned to his own social media, posting two photos of his AFC Champions League medal with a pointed message: “For the first time, they are seeing a Champions League medal in their stadium.”

On Tuesday, though, he was the one on the receiving end of the jabs, as Al Qadsiah’s win pulled them level with Al-Hilal at the top of the table and lit up their dressing room. The result tightened the race. The fallout showed just how thin the margins — and tempers — have become.