Force of Personality: Why Sumudica can haul Al Okhood to RSL survival

Marius Sumudica isn’t the type of coach to get comfortable.

Across a 20-year coaching career, the enigmatic Romanian has had no less than 28 different appointments across his homeland, Greece, the UAE, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

So fans of Al Okhdood might not necessarily expect the 54-year-old to be around for a long time in Najran. However, if he can help the club survive their currently perilous position in the table, it’s doubtful they will care.

Having parted company with Portuguese coach Paulo Sergio at the turn of the year, Al Okhdood wasted little time replacing the well-travelled manager with Sumudica, who is no stranger to the Roshn Saudi League having worked in the recent past with both Al Shabab and Al Raed.

It’s at Al Shabab where Sumudica is most fondly remembered across two stints, one during the 2018-19 season, where he guided the club to a fifth-placed finish, before returning at the tail end of the 2021-22 campaign. Then, he led Al Shabab to fourth.

When you consider Al Shabab’s recent struggles, what Sumudica was able to achieve at the Riyadh club, which included guiding them through the group stage of the 2022 AFC Champions League - in fact, they looked one of the best teams in it - looks more impressive in hindsight.

It was during that continental campaign, where Al Shabab won five of six matches and scored 18 goals in the process, that former Saudi Arabia international Hattan Bahebri likened Sumudica to something of a paternal figure - both personally and for the club.

“I consider Sumudica as a father for us,” Bahebri said back in 2022 after their 6-0 hammering of Mumbai City in the group stage, in which he scored a hat-trick.

“He is always encouraging us to give our best. On a personal level, he believed in me and in my ability to play today. I needed the goals today to reaffirm my scoring abilities, and the head coach is always supporting me.”

The challenge Sumudica faces at Al Okhdood this season is vastly more difficult, though.

Examining simply the raw numbers and taking in the three RSL matches he’s had in charge, they have the worst attacking record of any side in the league, scoring only 11 goals. What’s more, they possess one of the least-agreeable defensive records, conceding 29.

Dig, then, a little deeper and the picture doesn’t look any better. So far this term, Al Okhdood have generated the fewest shots on goal in the league, with a conversion rate of just 9.2 percent, while they have faced more than 200 shots already.

Having lost six of their past eight, the next five games don’t make for pretty reading: RSL champions Al Ittihad, high-flying Al Taawoun, well-stacked NEOM Sports Club and league leaders Al Hilal.

Daunting doesn’t even begin to describe the situation. Yet it’s a challenge Sumudica won’t shy away from, even if he is realistic about his present employers’ current situation.

“We don’t want to make excuses now; it’s up to us,” he said after the 4-1 loss last time out to Al Khaleej. “We must fight until the last game. But, of course, we need fresh blood because we must be realistic, we are fighting relegation. It’s very difficult.”

Sumudica’s no-nonsense style, and his ability to connect with, and get the best out of, his players might be exactly what Al Okhdood need if they are to turn around their fortunes this season.

Within days of his appointment, Sumudica was underscoring the need for “discipline” among the playing group. And, while he has a very disarming charm about him, he doubtless expects a lot of his team.

The heavy defeat to Al Khaleej aside (and Al Okhdood aren’t the only side to be on the end of such a result at the impressive Saihat side), there have been promising signs so far. Against a red-hot Al Ahli, Al Okhdood lost 1-0, before they then picked up their second win of the season, seeing off Al Kholood 1-0.

Meanwhile, Sumudica’s pleas for reinforcements have begun to be answered, with the arrival of former Norwegian international Tokmac Nguen, who was named in last season’s UEFA Conference League team of the campaign.

There is still a mountain to climb - Al Okhdood lay second bottom, three points from safety - but, with Sumudica leading the way, and 16th-placed Al Riyadh to host on Wednesday, there’s reason to be optimistic about the second half of the season.

Should results do a 180, Sumudica’s sheer force of will drag the club, and everyone connected, with him.