Merih Demiral's Emotional Reaction After Al-Ahli's Defeat

Merih Demiral left the pitch beaten on Tuesday night. He did not leave it quietly.

Al-Ahli had just been edged 3-2 by Al Qadsiah in a wild Saudi Pro League encounter, a defeat Demiral could not prevent at the heart of defence. Tijjani Reijnders, with two goals and the man-of-the-match award, had driven the visitors to a statement win that lifted them level at the top with Al-Hilal.

The result stung. What came next lit the fuse.

Inside the stadium, Al Qadsiah’s official X account pushed out a photo of Demiral staring at a phone. The caption twisted the knife: “As always, you can find the pain of defeat on his account.”

Demiral saw it. And snapped.

The 28-year-old stormed into the Al Qadsiah dressing room, looking for the person behind the post. According to reports, he demanded an apology and insisted the image be taken down. The club eventually removed it.

It was not the first time the former Juventus defender had worn defeat badly in Saudi Arabia. Back in April, after Al-Ahli fell to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, Demiral’s anger spilled onto social media. He posted two photos of his AFC Champions League medal with a pointed message aimed at the opposition: “For the first time, they are seeing a Champions League medal in their stadium.”

On the pitch, Demiral is paid to defend. Online, he clearly has no intention of letting anyone take shots at him for free.