Al Ahli Coach Marino Pusic Condemns 'Dangerous' Bottle Throwing After Fiery AFC Champions League Clash

Al Ahli Saudi coach Marino Pusic has called for decisive action to prevent fans from throwing bottles at players, describing the practice as "dangerous." His comments came after his team secured a 3-1 victory over Al Wasl in a heated AFC Champions League Elite group match at Dubai's Zabeel Stadium, attended by 4,500 supporters.

The match, which saw Al Ahli overcome Al Wasl in a fiery encounter, was marked by moments of intense emotion, with numerous plastic bottles and cups being hurled onto the pitch. Al Ahli forward Saleh Abu Al Shamat became a particular target after perceived antics that angered supporters. He first drew ire for an alleged feigning of injury during an altercation with Al Wasl defender Adryelson. Later, while playing on the wing near Al Wasl's fervent supporters in the second half, he was pelted with bottles. In response, he gestured for them to throw more.

Abu Al Shamat was later stretchered off with a shoulder injury. Despite this, he continued to engage with the home supporters and celebrate when he moved past the away section. This further agitated the crowd, leading to more projectiles being thrown, even from the Al Wasl bench, which resulted in a confrontation between the substitute players of both teams.

The issue of projectile throwing is not isolated to this match, with similar incidents occurring in high-profile fixtures across the region, especially amidst high temperatures where water is readily available. Clubs like Al Ain have adopted measures such as providing paper cups and water coolers, while others offer small bottles or plastic cups. These items are sometimes thrown by frustrated fans at players, coaching staff, or officials. Such incidents have been observed in previous AFC Champions League Elite finals and international matches between Qatar and the UAE.

Pusic, who joined the two-time Asian champions Al Ahli this season after leaving Al Jazira, expressed his desire to maintain fan passion while ensuring player safety. He noted that despite the on-field tensions, relations between the two clubs remained cordial post-match. "It could be a problem with people throwing very dangerous things on the pitch, because players and staff members [could] be hurt by these kind of things," Pusic stated. "I feel always pity about things when that happens. The passion and the support must be always there, and that's good. I like that part as well. But as you can see, after the game, it was everything was nice, fine, like it should be. In the heat of the moment, things can happen. But it's dangerous when you throw too much. It shouldn't happen, of course. But we are professionals; we are used to a lot of things."