Al-Ahli fans in Saudi Arabia have launched a widespread campaign calling for the club to sign German coach Sebastian Hoeness, the Stuttgart manager, after his compatriot Matthias Jaissle surprisingly resigned from the helm of "the Elegant".
Jaissle walked away at an extremely sensitive moment, just before the start of the new season. That leaves the Al-Ahli hierarchy facing a major challenge: finding a new manager in a short space of time.
Across social media, Al-Ahli's supporters launched the hashtag "#Hoeness_an_Ahlawi_demand", urging the club's management to move for the Stuttgart coach. He enjoys a strong reputation after the successes he has delivered in the German league over recent seasons.
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The supporters' desire also rests on a previous connection between Hoeness and Jaissle. The latter worked as his assistant with the Leipzig under-16 side before beginning the coaching career that eventually took him to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia.
Fans of "the Elegant" believe Hoeness has the personality and style to carry on the technical project Jaissle started, particularly as he favours modern attacking football that fits the team's identity and the ambitions of its supporters.
Al-Ahli's management have yet to comment on the identity of the new coach. The demands are mounting fast as fans push to settle the matter before the season begins and spare the team a period of technical vacuum.