Damir Burić (62) is no longer the manager of Abha. The former Hajduk Split coach was dismissed following a run of poor results, and his successor will be another Croatian, Teo Pirija.
The club had wanted to hand Burić his notice as early as September, but was unable to obtain approval from the relevant authorities. Abha’s initial request for the coach’s dismissal, effectively a contract termination, was submitted to the Financial Supervisory Committee of the Saudi Professional League, but it was rejected at the time.
Subsequently, dissatisfaction within the club grew so intense that, according to some Saudi media reports, officials threatened to resign collectively. A new request for contract termination was submitted on Tuesday following a 0-1 defeat to Al-Faisaly, and this time it was approved.
Last season, Burić led Abha to the title in the second tier of Saudi football and guided the club into the domestic top flight. However, after 11 matches this season, Abha sits at the bottom of the league table and has yet to record a win, prompting the club to make a change at the helm.
Pirija, who had previously worked in the club’s youth sector, has taken charge of the senior team. Burić served two separate spells as manager of Hajduk Split and led the club in 70 matches.
