Artem Bondarenko has landed his coach in trouble with the fans. Al-Ahli's new Ukrainian midfielder has left Dutch boss Marino Pusic in an awkward spot ahead of the Roshn League clash with Al-Hazm.
Al-Ahli host Al-Hazm today, Friday, at the Alinma Stadium in Jeddah in the seventh round of the Saudi Roshn League.
Writing on X, Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed revealed that Pusic had decided to leave Bondarenko out of the matchday squad, alongside Brazilian winger Matheus Goncalves.
It marks the third time the Ukrainian midfielder has been dropped from the matchday squad since arriving from Shakhtar Donetsk during last summer's transfer window.
Since then, Bondarenko has featured for "Al-Raqi" only twice: the 1-3 defeat to Al-Khaleej in the fourth round and the 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh in the fifth.
The 26-year-old missed out entirely elsewhere. Pusic left him out of the squad for the 0-3 defeat to Al-Hilal in the third round and the 2-3 loss to Al-Qadsiah in the sixth, before extending his absence against Al-Hazm.
That absence only deepens the trouble for Pusic. He was the one who pushed for the signing, having coached Bondarenko at Shakhtar between 2023 and 2025.
Al-Ahli fans had made their feelings clear before the deal even went through, rejecting the move. They also jeered Bondarenko during the clash with Al-Riyadh, and he has been out of the team ever since.
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