Artem Bondarenko's Struggles at Al-Ahli: Coach's Dilemma
Artem Bondarenko has been at Al-Ahli barely long enough to unpack, yet he already sits at the heart of a storm his coach can’t escape.
On the eve of the Roshn League clash with Al-Hazm at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, Dutch manager Marino Pusic has taken a hard – and deeply awkward – decision. Bondarenko, the Ukrainian midfielder he personally pushed the club to sign, has been left out of the matchday squad again. So has Brazilian winger Matheus Goncalves.
The news broke on X, where Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed revealed Pusic’s latest list. One name missing for the third time this season: Bondarenko.
This is not what anyone envisioned when Al-Ahli moved for the 26-year-old from Shakhtar Donetsk in last summer’s transfer window. Pusic knew him well, having worked with him at Shakhtar between 2023 and 2025, and made him a priority target. The coach saw a trusted lieutenant. The stands saw a problem.
Al-Ahli fans had voiced their anger before the deal was even signed, rejecting the move loudly. The tension didn’t ease once he arrived. During the 5-0 demolition of Al-Riyadh in the fifth round, Bondarenko was jeered by sections of the home support, a brutal soundtrack to one of the team’s biggest wins of the season. He has not started to repair that relationship. He has barely had the chance.
So far, his Al-Ahli career can be summed up in two games and a chorus of discontent. He featured in the 1-3 defeat to Al-Khaleej in the fourth round and then in that 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh. Those are his only appearances in green.
Everywhere else, he has vanished from the team sheet. He was dropped for the 0-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the third round. He stayed out of the squad again for the 2-3 defeat to Al-Qadsiah in the sixth. Now his absence stretches into the seventh round against Al-Hazm.
The pattern is brutal for a new signing, and brutal for the coach who vouched for him. Each omission tightens the pressure on Pusic. This is not a fringe youngster or a late-window gamble; this is his man, his choice, his former player. When that kind of signing fails to convince, the questions don’t stop at the dressing room door. They head straight for the bench.
For now, Bondarenko watches from the outside as Al-Ahli try to steady themselves in the Roshn League. The fans have spoken. The coach has made his call. The real issue is no longer just whether the midfielder fits this team.
It’s how long Pusic can keep backing a transfer he no longer feels able to put on the pitch.
