Artem Bondarenko: The Controversial Signing at Al-Ahli
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 Friday night at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, as Al-Ahli face Al-Hazm in the seventh round of the Saudi Roshn League, the Ukrainian midfielder will again be nowhere near the pitch. Not even on the bench.
That is Marino Pusic’s call. And it is putting the Dutch coach on a collision course with his own supporters.
A signing the fans never wanted
The story began in the summer, when Al-Ahli moved for Bondarenko from Shakhtar Donetsk. Pusic knew exactly what he was getting; he had worked with the player in Ukraine between 2023 and 2025 and pushed hard for the deal.
The fans did not share his conviction. Even before the transfer was completed, sections of the Al-Ahli support made their opposition clear, voicing their rejection of the move. When Bondarenko finally appeared in green, the reception stayed cold.
It turned openly hostile against Al-Riyadh. During the 5-0 home win in the fifth round, parts of the crowd jeered Bondarenko, a brutal soundtrack for a player still trying to find his feet at a new club. He has not been seen in the team since.
Dropped again – and again
Saudi journalist Waleed Saeed revealed on X that Pusic has once more omitted Bondarenko from the matchday squad for the Al-Hazm clash, along with Brazilian winger Matheus Goncalves. For Bondarenko, this is becoming a pattern, not a one-off.
Since his arrival, the 26-year-old has only featured twice for “Al-Raqi”:
- the 1-3 defeat to Al-Khaleej in the fourth round
- the 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh in the fifth
Everywhere else, he has vanished from the teamsheet.
Pusic left him out completely for the 0-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the third round. He did the same in the 2-3 defeat to Al-Qadsiah in the sixth. Now, with Al-Hazm visiting Jeddah, the coach has extended that exile.
Pusic under the microscope
Each omission tightens the spotlight on Pusic. This is not a forgotten squad player inherited from a previous regime. This is his man, a midfielder he championed and brought in against the clear mood of the stands.
When that kind of signing fails to take off, the questions do not stop at the player. They land squarely on the coach’s judgment.
The defeats to Al-Hilal and Al-Qadsiah have already sharpened the tone around Al-Ahli’s season. Dropping Bondarenko again, while the team searches for rhythm and identity, only deepens the sense of tension around Pusic’s decisions.
For now, the Dutchman is standing firm, keeping a trusted former player out of the firing line and out of the squad. The fans, who never wanted Bondarenko in the first place, are unlikely to offer much sympathy.
If results do not turn quickly, the choice to sign – and then sideline – Artem Bondarenko may become the decision that defines Marino Pusic’s time at Al-Ahli.
