Saudi Arabian champions Al Ahli have appointed Marino Pusic as their new head coach on a contract until 2028, replacing Matthias Jaissle, who left to take charge of Newcastle United, the club said on Thursday.
Pusic joins Al Ahli after a season with UAE club Al Jazira, his first coaching role in the Gulf region.
The 54-year-old guided Shakhtar Donetsk to the Ukrainian Premier League title in 2024 and previously helped FC Twente earn promotion to the Eredivisie in 2019.
Before taking charge at Shakhtar, Pusic served as assistant coach at Feyenoord and was part of the staff that won the Eredivisie title in the 2022-23 season.
He succeeds Jaissle, who enjoyed a successful spell with Al Ahli, leading the Jeddah-based club to back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles before being appointed manager of Premier League side Newcastle United following Eddie Howe’s departure.
