Pusic Faces Pressure as Bondarenko is Omitted Ahead of Al-Hazm Clash

Marino Pusic walks into a crucial Roshn League fixture under pressure from his own fans and with one of “his” signings watching from the stands.

Al-Ahli face Al-Hazm on Friday at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah in the seventh round of the Saudi Roshn League, but there is as much noise outside the pitch as on it. The name at the center of it: Artem Bondarenko.

Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed revealed on X that Pusic has once again left the Ukrainian midfielder out of the matchday squad, along with Brazilian winger Matheus Goncalves. For Bondarenko, this is becoming a pattern, not a one-off decision.

It is the third time since his summer move from Shakhtar Donetsk that Bondarenko has been completely dropped from Al-Ahli’s squad list. For a player personally pushed by the coach, the optics are brutal.

His minutes so far tell the story. Bondarenko has appeared only twice in the league for “Al-Raqi”: the 3-1 defeat to Al-Khaleej in the fourth round and the emphatic 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh in the fifth. That’s it.

Everywhere else, he has been nowhere near the pitch. He was left out of the 3-0 loss to Al-Hilal in the third round, then omitted again for the 3-2 defeat to Al-Qadsiah in the sixth. Now his absence is extended into the Al-Hazm clash.

Each omission tightens the spotlight on Pusic. The Dutch coach was the driving force behind Bondarenko’s arrival, having worked with him at Shakhtar between 2023 and 2025. This was meant to be a trusted lieutenant, a familiar face to anchor his project in Jeddah.

Instead, the signing has only widened the gap between coach and supporters.

Al-Ahli fans had opposed the move from the outset, voicing their rejection even before the transfer was completed. When Bondarenko did step onto the field, the reaction was unforgiving. During the 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh, sections of the crowd jeered the 26-year-old, and he has not featured since.

Now, as Al-Ahli try to steady their season against Al-Hazm, Pusic finds himself in a delicate position: the player he insisted on bringing in has become a symbol of the tension between the dugout and the stands.

If results don’t turn quickly, the question will grow louder in Jeddah: how long can a coach stand by a signing he no longer dares to use?