No president, no coach, no leaders: is Al-Ahli Saudi's season over before it began?

It all began with Khaled Al-Ghamdi, the club's former president, who led the administrative work at "Al-Raqi" over the past three years, since taking on the responsibility in 2023.

Then came the surprise. Al-Ghamdi decided to step down and cut short his tenure at Al-Ahli to run for the presidency of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, succeeding Yasser Al-Misehal, who resigned after the national team's exit from the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Ghamdi was not the only official running the football team's affairs, granted. But he sat at the head of the non-profit organisation, and he shaped every major decision relating to the team.

No new president has taken over since his departure. Some reports confirm that Ahmed Al-Shinqiti, the vice-president and head of the executive committee, will handle the task over the coming period.

Fans waiting to discover the successor to Khaled Al-Ghamdi as president now face a second guessing game: the identity of their new coach, and with just two weeks to go before the Saudi league kicks off.

Matthias Jaissle triggered it all. The German stunned everyone by walking away from Al-Ahli with a season still left on his contract, choosing instead to take charge of Newcastle United and succeed Eddie Howe.

His exit landed as a major blow to every plan Al-Ahli had drawn up for the new season. Jaissle had led the club's technical setup for three full years, appointed back in 2023 as the replacement for South African coach Pitso Mosimane.

During that spell he forged a distinctive identity for the Saudi side, one that set Al-Ahli apart from every rival. He kept building on it too, shaping the club's summer signings around his own philosophy.

Now, with Jaissle gone, Al-Ahli must move fast. They need a new coach inside two weeks, and ideally one whose ideas sit close to those of the German, so the team's shape doesn't visibly suffer.

A handful of names already stand out as candidates to replace him: Spaniard Xavi Hernandez, Dutchman Arne Slot, and the Portuguese trio of Vitor Pereira, Nuno Santo and Sergio Conceicao.

A manager walking out two weeks before the season starts is about the worst blow a team can suffer, though a dressing room stacked with genuine leaders can soften that kind of crisis.

Jaissle, though, had already made his move before leaving. He offloaded two of the squad's most prominent leaders: Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez and Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié.

Technically, the pair may not be missed much, not after the arrivals of Franck Trincão and Eduard Spertsyan. The bigger problem is what walks out the door with them: their leadership on the pitch.

Kessié in particular carried the authority he picked up at clubs the size of Milan and Barcelona. Mahrez did too, having spent years in the Premier League with Leicester City and Manchester City.

Al-Ahli still boast players of real value in Edouard Mendy, Merih Demiral, Roger Ibañez and Ali Majrashi. But keeping Kessié and Mahrez alongside them would have gone a long way towards holding the team together and cushioning the fallout from Jaissle's exit.

These three failures clearly threaten Al-Ahli's new season, after they enjoyed two outstanding campaigns in which they were crowned AFC Champions League Elite title twice, as well as the Saudi Super Cup after a nine-year absence.

Al-Ahli's fans wanted more this season. Top of the wishlist was the Saudi Roshn League title after a full 10-year absence, alongside a defence of their beloved AFC Champions League Elite crown and a genuine tilt at the domestic honours.

Now, though, "the Elegant One" faces a frightening nightmare, one that may stop them not only from winning the Roshn League but from competing for every title next season.

Beyond the Saudi League and the AFC Champions League Elite, Al-Ahli will chase the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, the Saudi Super Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup in the new season.

That last competition could have opened the door to three separate titles: the Africa, Asia and Pacific Cup, the Challenge Cup, plus the tournament itself should they reach the final.

Supporters want the club to fix these crises fast, both to compete for silverware next season and to protect the outstanding journey German coach Matthias Jaissle has built over the past three years.