Marino Pusic's future at Al-Ahli looked to be hanging by a thread heading into the AFC Champions League Elite clash with Qatar's Al-Sadd. Earlier reports suggested a defeat, or anything short of a win, could hasten the Dutchman's exit from the dugout.
The match finished 1-1. No sacking followed, despite the lingering doubts over Al-Raqi's displays, and that left one question hanging: what stopped the change?
According to media figure Abdulrahman Amer on the programme "Dorrina Gheir", money is what has stalled Pusic's dismissal. The executive management had already decided on a change, unhappy with the team's levels and the slide in results over recent weeks.
At the heart of the crisis sit the details of the Dutch coach's contract, which runs for two seasons until June 2028. It carries no simple release clause allowing Al-Ahli to walk away for a limited fee, so cancelling the deal means paying the salaries for the entire remaining period in full.
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Amer put the cost of terminating Pusic's contract at around 7.5 million euros, more than 45 million Saudi riyals. The coach is insisting on receiving his dues in full before he agrees to leave, landing the management with an enormous bill.
So the draw with Al-Sadd changed nothing. It didn't rescue Pusic in the management's eyes, but nor did it trigger an immediate sacking, with the desire for change running straight into a financial wall. Pulling the plug now means covering every remaining riyal of his salary until 2028.
Pusic's survival, then, owes little to renewed faith in his ability to lead the side. The complex sums in his contract are doing the talking. Al-Ahli are left with two unappealing options: foot a departure bill north of 45 million riyals, or keep a coach amid sliding results and relentless criticism.