Al-Ahli has approached Ange Postecoglou about becoming the Saudi club’s new head coach following his dismissal from Tottenham Hotspur.
If appointed, he would replace the current manager, Matthias Jaissle, who recently led the Jeddah-based club to a respectable fifth-place finish. The more impressive achievement from his time at Al-Ahli, however, would be winning the club its first AFC Champions League Elite title.
Parallels, therefore, may be drawn between Ange Postecoglou and Matthias Jaissle. Both have had fairly forgettable league seasons, finishing 17th and 5th in their leagues, which would not guarantee either team a spot in their respective continental competition.
However, due to Postecoglou winning the Europa League and Jaissle the AFC Champions League, both Tottenham and Al-Ahli will be playing at the highest level they can next season.
Why do Al-Ahli want to sack Matthias Jaissle?
Finishing fifth in the Saudi League is arguably a much less impressive task than achieving the same position in the Premier League, especially with the status that Al-Ahli have in the division.
To add to this, Al-Ahli are also one of the largest clubs in Saudi Arabia. They have the nation’s second-largest football stadium (shared with Al-Ittihad, and only smaller than the national team’s), and fans regularly expect the club to at least challenge for a continental spot in the league.
There is a good chance that this is why, according to David Ornstein on X, Al-Ahli are considering replacing Matthias Jaissle with a plethora of high-profile managers, including Ange Postecoglou and Xavi.
Nevertheless, Al-Ahli finished 16 points behind Al-Ittihad with 67 points. Their team boasted a roster of players, including Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Franck Kessié, and Edouard Mendy, all of whom would still impress in Europe’s top five leagues.
While the performance in the league has been mediocre at best, the AFC Champions League trophy might have been enough to give Jaissle a chance at building a project.
In complete spite of this, it looks like the German will be axed as soon as Al-Ahli can appoint a more exciting manager to lead the club.
There’s no surprise to this, though, and Jaissle certainly won’t be shocked as Al-Ahli have had 10 managers since 2019, not including caretakers. Matthias Jaissle has managed more games in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Ahli than any other manager of the last 10 years, but his time will almost certainly come to an end this summer.
Will Al-Ahli secure Ange Postecoglou?
Ange Postecoglou has become one of the most talked-about names in football since he started at Tottenham Hotspur. While his football is fast and attractive, the Australian is quite a likeable manager for the way he has protected his players and engaged with the fans.
Al-Ahli will probably claim to want Postecoglou for his management style, but the possibility of gaining supporters further afield who have become devoted fans of the manager would be a huge benefit to the club.
It reflects the approach that the most heavily funded Saudi Pro League clubs have taken since 2023, when the country’s Public Investment Fund took control of 75% of the stakes of Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal.
This approach includes signing high-profile names to expose the brand’s image. Huge salaries and transfer fees were handed out to secure players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, and managers such as Steven Gerrard and Laurent Blanc.
Unfortunate as it was for Ange Postecoglou to be released by Tottenham, he is still at a high point in his career.
Off the back of winning a Europa League title, Postecoglou would be in the eyes of some of Europe’s most elite teams. While no one can take that title away, a hiatus of going to Saudi Arabia may damage his reputation, especially if he is not successful with the club.
Al-Ahli will probably offer Ange Postecoglou a higher salary than almost any European club could. But perhaps with his reputation on his mind, he would rather be swayed by a top-level job in Europe.