Bondarenko's Omission Puts Pusic Under Pressure Before Al-Ahli vs Al-Hazm

Marino Pusic walks into Alinma Stadium tonight under pressure, and not just because of the league table.

His big midfield signing, Artem Bondarenko, is nowhere near the pitch.

Al-Ahli host Al-Hazm in Jeddah on Friday in the seventh round of the Saudi Roshn League, but the Ukrainian is out of the matchday squad again. Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed revealed on X that Pusic has excluded Bondarenko, along with Brazilian winger Matheus Goncalves, from the roster for the game.

For Bondarenko, this is becoming a pattern. And a damaging one.

Third omission, mounting questions

This is the third time since his summer arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk that the 26-year-old has been dropped from a league squad. For a player brought in as a key piece, the numbers are stark.

• The 1-3 defeat to Al-Khaleej in the fourth round
• The 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh in the fifth round

Everywhere else, he has vanished from the team sheet.

He was left out of the squad for the 0-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the third round and again for the 2-3 defeat to Al-Qadsiah in the sixth. Now, his absence stretches into the Al-Hazm fixture as well.

For a new signing, that is not rotation. It looks like a freeze-out.

From handpicked signing to lightning rod

The problem for Pusic is simple and brutal: this is his player.

The Dutch coach pushed for Bondarenko’s signing, banking on the relationship they built at Shakhtar Donetsk between 2023 and 2025. He knew the midfielder, trusted him, and wanted him as part of his new project in Jeddah.

Al-Ahli’s fans never bought in.

Even before the deal was completed, large sections of the support voiced their opposition to the move. Once Bondarenko arrived, the tension followed him onto the pitch. During the 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh, the home crowd jeered him, a clear signal of how little patience he would be afforded.

He has not played since.

Fans, coach, and a decision that won’t go away

Each omission now sharpens the focus on Pusic. The coach is caught in a bind of his own making: the player he insisted on signing has become a symbol of the disconnect between the bench and the stands.

Leaving Bondarenko out again before facing Al-Hazm might ease the noise inside Alinma Stadium for one night. It does nothing to quiet the larger question hanging over Al-Ahli.

How long can a coach carry the weight of a signing the fans never wanted and no longer see?