The youth club management informed their Spanish coach, Imanol Alguacil, of the decision to dismiss him through an official letter sent on Sunday evening, in preparation for closing the chapter on the current coaching staff.

Sources revealed that Abdullah Al-Mutairi, one of the youth category coaches, will temporarily oversee the team's training in the coming days until the procedures for contracting with the Algerian Nouredine Ben Zekri are completed.

Ben Zakry is awaiting approval from the Financial Control Committee of the Saudi Professional League before officially signing the contract and starting his role with the capital team.

The decision to dismiss came after the heavy defeat against Al-Ahly with a score of 5-2, a result that increased the pressure on the management amid declining results and the team's proximity to the danger zone.

The newspaper Marca indicated that Al-Shabab's situation has become complicated in the Saudi Roshan League standings, as they are in thirteenth place, six points away from relegation, while they are 34 points behind the leader, Al-Hilal.

Despite starting February with victories over Al-Fayha and Al-Hazm, the loss to Al-Kholood and then the defeat against Al-Ahli hastened the end of Alguacil's tenure, who came to the kingdom last summer after a long stint with Real Sociedad that lasted seven seasons.

According to informed sources, the youth management had previously submitted a request to dismiss the coach and hire Ben Zakri, but the request was rejected due to the high contract value and the termination clause, which ranges between 28 and 50 million euros.

Sources clarified that communications are conducted through the recruitment program or the Financial Oversight Committee, not through the Ministry of Sports, indicating that the request to contract with Moroccan Mohamed Harimat and Englishman Adrian Blake, a Watford player, was not approved.