Press reports have revealed the real reason behind the poor results that Saudi side Al-Ittihad have been suffering in recent weeks, under their German coach Jens Wissing.
Al-Ittihad have played two matches since the end of the last international break, losing the first against Al-Hilal 3-2 in the eighth round of the Roshn League, before a 2-1 defeat to the UAE's Shabab Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Saudi media figure Bandar Al-Khalil has pinpointed the cause of that sharp downturn, confirming financial and contractual disputes between Wissing and the Al-Ittihad board.
"The Jens Wissing before the break is not the Jens Wissing after it," Al-Khalil wrote on his personal account on "X".
He explained: "There are contractual and financial matters outstanding between the coach and the Al-Ittihad board. I hope they are handled wisely and the situation is contained quickly, because allowing them to continue without a solution could have a negative impact on the team's stability and its results in the future."
That reverse against Al-Hilal was Al-Ittihad's first of the current Roshn League season. Then came their first loss in the AFC Champions League Elite, at the Al-Inma Stadium, against Shabab Al-Ahli.
Fourth place in the Saudi league table is where they now sit, on 17 points, a full four behind leaders Al-Hilal.
In Asia, their tally has stalled on a single point. Twelfth in the West Zone group standings, they look unlikely to reach the round of 16.