Merih Demiral Reacts to Al Qadsiah Defeat

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

Al-Ahli had just lost 3-2 to Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League, a defeat that stung the 28-year-old centre-back. He had been unable to prevent the three goals, and then watched Tijjani Reijnders walk away with man-of-the-match honours after scoring twice. The result pushed Al Qadsiah level at the top of the table with Al-Hilal. For them, it was a statement win.

Their social media team decided to make it louder.

Not long after the final whistle, Al Qadsiah’s X account posted a photo of Demiral looking at his phone. The caption cut deep: “As always, you can find the pain of defeat on his account.” It was a clear dig at the Turkish defender and his online reactions after losses.

Demiral saw it. That was the spark.

According to reports, he stormed into the Al Qadsiah dressing room, demanding to know who ran the account. He wanted an apology. He also wanted the post gone. The message was eventually deleted.

The reaction fit a pattern. Demiral, formerly of Juventus, has never hidden how badly defeats sit with him. Back in April, after Al-Ahli lost to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, he was again seething. After that match, he turned to social media himself, posting two photos of his AFC Champions League medal with a pointed line: “For the first time, they are seeing a Champions League medal in their stadium.”

On Tuesday, the medal stayed away. The anger did not.