Al-Ahli, star striker Al-Somah struggling to cope with unrest on, off field
Just four games ago, Al-Ahli were in the middle of the race for the 2020-21 Saudi Pro League title.
The Jeddah club were level on points with Al-Hilal in second and just two behind leaders Al-Shabab. It was more good news to follow the announcement in January that Omar Al-Somah, one of the best players in the history of Saudi professional football, had signed a new three-year contract amid worries that he had been set to leave for pastures new. By the end of February, however, the club had slipped out of the top three into fourth with speculation of unhappy players, late salary payments, and possible transfer bans and points deductions uppermost in the minds of fans.
Their troubles seem to echo those of many big clubs around the world. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur saw their English Premier League challenges falter earlier this season after bad runs, as did Juventus in Italy’s Serie A. But there are deeper issues at stake at one of Asia’s proudest clubs.
Last week’s 3-0 loss against Al-Shabab showed a gulf in class and determination between the two teams that belied their relatively close positions in the league. The Riyadh club attacked fluidly from all parts of the pitch with imagination and drive while the visitors were second best in all aspects. It increased the disquiet around the three-time champions.
Star striker Al-Somah said after the loss that the coaches and the players were doing all they could but that the right investment had
not been made to make the team, third last season but 14 points behind Al-Nassr in second, into genuine title challengers.
“There is a big difference between this Al-Ahli and the Al-Ahli I joined a number of years ago,” the Syrian
player told reporters.
It had been building as, amid rumors of problems with payments, club president Abdulelah Mouminah had been criticized by the players when entering the dressing room after the previous game, a disappointing 1-1 draw with Al-Ain. That was not long after coach Vladan Milojevic was lamenting that he had not been able to strengthen the team’s defence in the winter transfer window — only seven clubs have conceded more than Al-Ahli’s 32. As the likes of Manchester United have found in recent years, when things are not going well, past players are often ready to wade in and offer opinions which are lapped up by headline-writers. Al-Somah’s comments coupled with a relative goal drought have put him on the firing line.
Ali Al-Abdali enjoyed a decade at the club before leaving in 2008 and expressed his disappointment with the striker after the recent loss at Al-Faisaly, with the home team coming back from a goal down with seven minutes remaining to win 2-1.