Ahmed Atif, the former Al-Shabab and Saudi football star, has leapt to the defence of Al-Ahli head coach Marino Pusic after the Dutchman's side were thrashed by "the Lions" in the Roshn League.
Al-Shabab crushed Al-Ahli 6-1 on Friday at the SHG Arena in the Saudi capital Riyadh, in the twelfth round of the Roshn League.
Atif told the programme "Dorayna Ghair": "I said before the last international break that it is difficult to judge Pusic at this early stage of the season".
"To be honest, as far as I'm concerned, he came in under difficult circumstances", he added. That prompted Saudi media figure Khaled Al-Shneif to fire back sarcastically: "Then let him coach Al-Shabab instead of (Thomas) Letsch". Atif's reply caught him off guard: "As far as I'm concerned, he is better than Letsch".
The praise is striking given what Letsch has delivered. The German has posted impressive results with Al-Shabab this season, especially after the last international break. Four matches followed, three of them wins and only one a draw.
Pusic, by contrast, took the Al-Ahli job at the start of the current season, replacing German coach Matthias Jaissle. He has overseen 17 matches since, winning 11, losing 5 and drawing just one.