What is happening inside the fortress of cups?

The Marino Pusic affair has taken a messier turn at Al-Ahli. Legal advisor Ahmed Al-Sheikhi has lifted the lid on the Dutch coach's contract and the cost of tearing it up, warning that the deal signed in the first place left the Al-Ahli board dangerously exposed.

Many are calling the Pusic signing the "disaster of the season". The club brought him in at the start of the current campaign to replace German Matthias Jaissle, who was shown the door without warning.

Speaking on the "Nadina" programme, Al-Sheikhi explained that Pusic's contract carried a serious legal risk. The club tied themselves to two binding years at hefty figures covering salaries and guaranteed advances, yet nobody built in a clear exit route to protect them should they ever want out early.

Tearing up the Dutchman's contract could cost Al-Ahli close to 50 million riyals. There is no reduced penalty clause letting them walk away for three or six months' wages, which turns the matter of settling what remains into one of the board's biggest headaches.

So what are the options? Al-Sheikhi confirmed Al-Ahli can sign a new coach and hand him the team even before they reach a final settlement with Pusic. The financial and legal mess around the contract does not stop the club taking that step.

He added that if the Dutchman rejects a settlement, the club could leave the case with FIFA. Disputes over coaches' contracts don't trigger sporting sanctions such as a registration ban, so Al-Ahli have room to manoeuvre without hanging around for the case to be fully resolved.

Read also: Fermin Lopez destroys Atletico Madrid's fortresses on the night of "the fake Mourinho"

Active financial monitoring of Al-Ahli is unlikely, Al-Sheikhi added. Al-Raqi are among the lowest spenders of the major clubs and should be sitting on a surplus from the backing available to them, which makes such a measure improbable.

All of this leaves the Al-Ahli board facing a tough test. The urge to end Pusic's reign and find a replacement runs straight into a bill nearing 50 million riyals, turning the coaching crisis into a weighty legal and financial file. Resolving it means settling the matter without wrecking the team's stability or the club's books.