{
  "id": 5501884,
  "title": "Al Ahli reportedly part ways with Rui Pedro After loss to Al Hilal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/al-ahli-reportedly-part-ways-with-rui-pedro-after-loss-to-al-hilal",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T05:36:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/sport/football/al-ahli-reportedly-part-ways-with-rui-pedro-after-loss-to-al-hilal-1.500662857"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Al Ahli have reportedly parted ways with their sporting director, Rui Pedro, following their recent 3-0 defeat to Al Hilal. Pedro, who has been with Al Ahli since October, had been subject to intense criticism from fans over the club's summer transfer activities. Many blamed Pedro for the lack of significant additions during the transfer window, which culminated in the departure of high-profile players like Riyad Mahrez and Frank Kessie.\n\nReports suggest that the club became aware of alleged corruption cases involving Pedro, including the signing of Ukrainian midfielder Artem Bondarenko. Bondarenko, who joined Al Ahli from Shaktar Donetsk, was reportedly offered a salary of €2.5 million annually, much higher than his requested €1.3 million. Critics argue that the transfer was unjustified given Bondarenko's relatively limited impact at Al Ahli.\n\nThe club's decision to terminate Pedro's contract appears to be a response to both fan dissatisfaction and internal discontent from senior players. Pedro's tenure at Al Ahli began after he left Benfica, where he had previously held a similar role. As Al Ahli attempts to stabilize under new coach Marino Pusic, the club now faces the challenge of finding a suitable replacement for Pedro.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Al Ahli are undergoing a major change with the departure of several players and their two-time AFC Champions League Elite winning head coach. However, the exits didn't stop yet as another rumored firing has surfaced just days after the team's 3-0 loss to Al Hilal. Al Ahli faced a lot of criticism over their transfer activity during the summer window. Many fans blamed the sporting director…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}