RIYADH — Al-Shabab Football Club has taken decisive action sacking Dutch coach Marcel Keizer from his position as the head coach of the first team due to the team's lackluster performance after just five rounds into the Saudi Pro League season. In an official press release, Al-Shabab stated that the club's administration has appointed Argentine Juan Brown, the coach of the club's youth team, along with his coaching staff to take charge of the senior football team for the time being. Brown, who previously managed clubs such as Al-Hilal, Al-Wehda, and Egypt's Ismaily, as well as the Argentina U-20 national team, has prior experience in the Saudi Professional League, with 16 matches under his belt, achieving five wins, suffering nine losses, and drawing two matches. Keizer's tenure at Al-Shabab lasted a mere 43 days, having been signed by the club's management for a one-season contract on July 27 of this year. During his five matches in charge, the Dutch coach secured only two points out of a possible 15, with two draws and three losses, leaving Al-Shabab in the 17th position, just above the bottom-placed Al-Hazm, in the Saudi League standings. Before joining Al-Shabab, the 54-year-old Dutch coach had a wealth of professional coaching experience, including stints with notable clubs such as Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, and most recently, Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates for four years, concluding at the end of the previous season. During his time with Al-Jazira, he clinched the UAE Pro League title in 2021 and the Super Cup. Keizer took over the helm of Al-Shabab from Spanish coach Vicente Moreno, whose contract the club's management decided not to renew after he spent one season with the team.
