Al Ahli's 5-0 demolition of Al Riyadh on September 4 provided a timely boost, but it cannot mask a deeply unsettled period at the Jeddah club. The commanding win, with Ivan Toney scoring twice from the penalty spot alongside goals from Edvard Spiritovic, Francisco Trincao and Naif Masoud, lifted the side to fourth in the Saudi Pro League on nine points from five games. Yet the result arrived against a backdrop of real turbulence both on and off the pitch.

The most significant off-pitch development is the departure of Portuguese sporting director Rui Pedro Baraz, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent. Players and supporters had grown increasingly critical of Baraz, accusing him of creating a negative atmosphere within the squad and overseeing transfer decisions that fell short of expectations, most notably the loan of Enzo Mio to Al Duhail and the signing of Artem Bondarenko. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri also reported allegations of fraudulent practices surrounding certain deals. Osama Houssawi, former assistant sporting director, has been placed in charge on a temporary basis.

On the pitch, head coach Marino Pusic had seen his side win four straight matches to open the season before successive league defeats to Al Kholood and Al Hilal knocked confidence. The win over Al Riyadh steadied the ship, with Toney now leading the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with six goals. Al Ahli travel to Al Qadsiah on September 8, a side sitting third and two points clear of them, making it a fixture with direct implications on their early-season standing.