Saudi club Al-Ahli have begun an effort to correct their course and opened negotiations with Spain's Miguel Angel Tena about a possible move to become their sporting director.
Reshaping Al-Ahli’s sporting director role
The Saudi newspaper Okaz reports that Al-Ahli have opened negotiations with Spain's Miguel Angel Tena over a move to become their sporting director.
Al-Ahli are hunting for a new sporting director to succeed Portugal's Rui Pedro Baraz, who was dismissed from the role earlier this season.
According to the report, Al-Ahli have laid out their vision and future project to Miguel Angel Tena, hoping he can steer the club forward.
Okaz also states that no final agreement has been reached between Al-Ahli and Miguel Angel Tena as yet.
Al-Ahli are weighing up several other candidates for the sporting director role before making their final call.
Tena’s role and experience at Villarreal
Miguel Angel Tena has served as Villarreal's director of football.
Miguel Angel Tena arrived at Villarreal some 23 years ago as a player, joining the youth team from Valencia, though he lasted just a single season.
Miguel Angel Tena left Villarreal for Racing Ferrol in 2004 and turned out for a host of Spanish clubs before returning to Racing Ferrol a decade later, spending his final year on the pitch with them before hanging up his boots for good.
With Racing Ferrol, Miguel Angel Tena launched his career off the pitch and began as a coach.
Miguel Angel Tena stayed with Racing Ferrol between 2015 and 2017 before taking charge of Villarreal's under-19s in 2018.
Two years after taking charge of Villarreal's under-19s, Miguel Angel Tena became head coach of Villarreal's third team.
One season after becoming head coach of Villarreal's third team, Miguel Angel Tena was appointed as Villarreal's director of football.
Across around five years, Miguel Angel Tena stamped a clear philosophy on the role of director of football at Villarreal.
GOAL reports that Miguel Angel Tena's job as director of football went beyond signings, extending to creating the right working environment.
Tena’s football philosophy and player development
Miguel Angel Tena's aim as director of football was to build the person before the player, readying each one for a professional life on the football pitch.
Miguel Angel Tena pressed the need to develop coaches capable of managing a team and dealing with people in the best possible way, not simply schooling players in the academies as had always been the custom.
Miguel Angel Tena's philosophy helped Villarreal produce a string of outstanding talents in recent years, among them Alex Baena and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
Multiple responsibilities and interim coaching stints
Miguel Angel Tena never confined himself to the sporting director's desk at Villarreal, drawing on years as a head coach before moving into administration.
Even while running recruitment, Miguel Angel Tena was called upon as head coach on a temporary basis twice, in September 2023 and then again in November of the same year.
Villarreal handed their sporting director Miguel Angel Tena the reins of the Villarreal youth team.
Pressure on Al-Ahli’s head coach
Al-Ahli's supporters are demanding the sacking of Netherlands boss Marino Pusic, the first-team head coach, over a run of poor results this season.
Marino Pusic took the Al-Ahli job last August, replacing Germany's Matthias Jaissle, who left suddenly to lead Newcastle United.
Since taking charge of Al-Ahli, Marino Pusic has overseen 18 matches, winning 11, drawing two and losing five.
