JEDDAH, 15 May 2007 — The future of Serbian coach Nebusha Moskovitch at Al-Ahli football club hung in the balance after he said he would leave the club if his demand for a salary raise was not granted.
Nebusha is asking that his present contract that pays him $350,000 a season be raised to $600,000 as per the verbal agreement with Ahli.
Nebusha told Arab News in a telephone interview yesterday when he joined Ahli he agreed on a contract of $350,000.
“That was OK, but I asked them verbally if I got them a title I would like my salary to be raised double and they gave me their word.”
Nebusha gave Ahli two major domestic titles namely the Prince Faisal Cup and Crown Prince Cup.
“I know they pay this sum of money and it is not a lot to ask for and it is being paid to other coaches, and I got two titles.”
“If they did not accept my conditions and considered it seriously, then I’d be leaving for good,” he said.
Nebusha had a rough start with Ahli and fans had demanded his head in October last year owing to the team’s poor performance. But he was able to turn Ahli’s fortunes, so much so that he won the Prince Faisal Cup beating archrival Al-Ittihad in the final 3-0 on Feb. 9. On April 27 against the same Ittihad squad, Ahli won in the final of the Crown Prince Cup, 2-1, for their second silverware of the season. Negotiations, meantime, are under way to keep Nebusha at Ahli. It is still unclear when the two parties will bring the matter to the table. Prince Khalid ibn Abdullah, president of the Ahli Academy and team benefactor, is in Riyadh.
“I hope when the prince gets back things would solved,” Nebusha said.
According to a report by Arriyadiya daily, sister publication of Arab News, Ahli club President Ahmed Al-Marzouqi refused Nebusha’s demand and offered him instead a raise from $ 350, 000 to $ 400,000. The report said both parties would decide in few days and the final decision would be announced on Saturday.
The report added Nebusha requested to end the contracts of the foreign players and bring in his own people as replacements.
Nebusha, however, denied the report.
