Al Ahli are in the grip of a serious crisis after suffering one of their most humiliating results in recent memory. A 6-1 defeat to Al Shabab in Matchday 12 of the Saudi Pro League left the Jeddah club sixth in the table with 21 points from 11 games, and it has brought the future of Dutch coach Marino Bosicic into sharp focus.

Reports from Saudi outlet Al Midan suggest the club's board had already decided to dismiss Bosicic before the final whistle, a sign of how badly the evening unravelled. The coach clashed with a journalist at the post-match press conference, telling him he should be ashamed of asking whether the game was his last in charge, though he did acknowledge his side made serious errors. Pundits and analysts have been near-unanimous in calling for his removal, with broadcaster Abdullah Falathe arguing that Bosicic's substitutions after a red card made a difficult situation catastrophic. Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, who previously managed Al Ittihad, has been mentioned as a potential replacement.

The defeat was compounded by the absence of three key players. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, defender Merih Demiral and top scorer Ivan Toney all missed the match. Toney, the league's leading scorer with 13 goals, is currently in London dealing with an assault charge, and his return remains uncertain ahead of the club's next fixture, an AFC Champions League Elite trip to Al-Sadd on 2 November.