Al-Ahli’s New Era: What Really Changed After Mahrez?
Riyad Mahrez is gone. Marino Pušić has arrived. And Al-Ahli are building something very different around Trincão, Ivan Toney, Galeno and Eduard Spertsyan.
There is something different about Al-Ahli Jeddah this season.
The green shirts are still there. The expectations are still enormous. The pressure from supporters has not changed.
But the identity of the team is evolving.
After the departure of Riyad Mahrez, the biggest question surrounding Al-Ahli is no longer who their superstar is — but whether the entire team can become the superstar.
THE MAHREZ ERA IS OVER
Mahrez was never simply another attacking player for Al-Ahli.
His arrival represented one of the most important stages of the club’s transformation into an internationally recognized Saudi football project.
His departure therefore creates more than a statistical hole.
It creates an identity question.
Who controls the final third? Who creates chances when Al-Ahli need a goal? Who becomes the player opponents fear most?
The answer may not be one player.
TRINCÃO, TONEY AND GALENO
One of the most intriguing elements of the new-look Al-Ahli is the attacking combination involving Francisco Trincão, Ivan Toney and Galeno.
The profile is different from the Mahrez era.
Physical reference point and penalty-box presence.
Direct running, pace and attacking transitions.
Technique, movement and creativity between lines.
That combination could make Al-Ahli less dependent on one player to manufacture everything in the final third.
THEN CAME EDUARD SPERTSYAN
The arrival of Eduard Spertsyan adds another important dimension to the rebuild.
The Armenian international gives Al-Ahli another creative presence through the middle, potentially allowing the team to avoid becoming overly dependent on wide players.
If opponents can isolate Al-Ahli’s wingers, the team needs another route into the final third. Spertsyan could become that route.
THE MAMELODI SUNDOWNS WARNING
The biggest recent warning came in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Al-Ahli suffered a 2-1 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns, with Nuno Santos scoring twice for the South African side. Ivan Toney scored Al-Ahli’s goal.
The result exposed something important: individual quality alone is not enough when the margins become extremely small against high-level opposition.
Possession has to become meaningful. Chance creation has to become consistent. Defensive transitions have to remain controlled.
THE MIDFIELD MAY BE THE REAL KEY
It is tempting to focus entirely on the attacking names. That would be a mistake.
The development of players such as Valentin Atangana, Ziyad Al-Johani and Eduard Spertsyan could determine how much freedom Al-Ahli’s attacking players actually receive.
A team with Toney, Galeno and Trincão can look spectacular when the midfield supplies them quickly.
But those same attackers can become isolated if the midfield cannot progress the ball.
AND THEN THERE IS THE BACK LINE
Behind the attacking talent, Al-Ahli still have significant experience.
Édouard Mendy provides experience in goal, while Merih Demiral and Roger Ibañez give the defensive line physicality and experience.
The challenge is consistency. Against international opposition, small defensive moments can decide an entire match.
Maybe the answer is nobody. Maybe the point is that Al-Ahli no longer need one player to replace everything Mahrez represented.
THE MAHREZ ERA IS FINISHED
Al-Ahli are entering a different phase.
Instead of asking one superstar to solve every attacking problem, the new project appears designed to distribute responsibility across the team.
Toney brings the physical presence. Galeno brings directness. Trincão brings creativity. Spertsyan adds another central creative option.
The question now is whether those pieces can become something greater than the sum of their individual names.
The Mahrez era is finished.
The new Al-Ahli era has officially begun.
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