RIYADH: Too little, too late? Al-Ahli have announced the end of sporting director Rui Pedro Braz’s time at the club after a turbulent 12 months that saw fan sentiment turn sour.

Osama Hawsawi, who was part of the Al-Ahli squad that won the double in 2016, has been announced as the interim replacement.

But while many may wonder how Braz fell out of favor after Al-Ahli secured a second consecutive AFC Champions League Elite title last season, the club’s supporters believe the writing was on the wall.

Last October, Al-Ahli announced his appointment in an official statement on their website, claiming he brought “extensive experience from European football” and that his strategy helped “establish Benfica as one of Europe’s top clubs for developing young talent.”

The goal, according to Al-Ahli, was to “build a sustainable football project that will raise the club’s profile domestically, regionally, and internationally.”

The reality was anything but.

It all started in January 2026, when Ricardo Mathias was signed from Internacional for €10 million ($11.6 million). The young Brazilian never started for Al-Ahli and played just 80 minutes throughout the 2025/26 season, leading fans to question why Mathias was signed in the first place.

This summer, Matteo Dams was sold to Club Brugge for €4 million, with Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh arriving as his replacement for €6.5 million. Kinteh has yet to make an appearance for the club, fueling even greater skepticism over Braz’s dealings.

Matthias Jaissle departing right before the start of the season did not help matters. While no sources have claimed a direct link between Braz and Jaissle’s departure, Arriyadiyah confirmed on July 30 that Jaissle chose to leave after his desire for a clause guaranteeing his full salary in the event of a dismissal was rejected.

Jaissle’s head-coach replacement, Marino Pusic, was not a popular choice either. But the straw that broke the camel’s back came shortly after, when Artem Bondarenko was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk as a replacement for Franck Kessie — a move that baffled supporters from the moment it was announced.

Kessie had been one of the most physically dominant midfielders in the SPL, and fans felt Bondarenko — a relatively unknown commodity from Ukrainian football — fell well short of the profile the position demanded.

A massive social media campaign against the Ukrainian followed, with his performance in the 3-1 defeat to Al-Kholood drawing significant attention in Saudi football circles — ultimately leading to him being dropped from the squad for the next game against Al-Hilal.

By this point, the pressure on Braz had mounted. Fans had already chanted “Rui Pedro Out” during their clash against Abha on Matchday Two of the Saudi Pro League, underscoring just how far fan sentiment had separated from board decisions.

Things only got worse as deadline day approached. Asharq Al-Awsat confirmed this week that Al-Ahli were in talks to sign Monaco’s Pape Cabral, who had made just six senior appearances for Monaco in the 2025/26 season.

When reports emerged that Al-Ahli were prepared to pay €10 million for him, fans drew parallels with the Mathias and Kinteh deals and flooded social media with their opposition to the move.

Finally, on Thursday, Braz and Al-Ahli parted ways by mutual consent after a meeting involving executive committee president Ahmed Al-Shangeeti, CEO Fabrice Bocquet and committee member Ahmed Al-Thubaiti, according to Arriyadiyah.

The Cabral deal quickly collapsed in the aftermath, and Al-Ahli fans rejoiced on social media, with the official tweet from the club’s account garnering more than 1.5 million views in less than 24 hours.

This is not the first time pressure from Al-Ahli fans has forced the board’s hand.

In January 2025, Al-Ahli had decided to replace Jaissle with Gabriele Cioffi as caretaker head coach until Massimiliano Allegri could join at the start of the following season.

Despite turbulent results at the time, Al-Ahli fans showed up at the club with a banner — “Enough Failure … Leave!” — targeted at the board, ultimately leading to Jaissle’s continuation, which he followed with two consecutive AFC Champions League Elite triumphs.

While the news of Braz’s departure may have delighted Al-Ahli fans, time is running out for the club.

Fewer than 48 hours remain until the squad registration deadline, and with Al-Ahli in need of a genuine replacement for Kessie and further reinforcements across the team, time will tell if they are capable of making the right decisions before it is too late.