After the battle with Al-Nassr: Demiral ignites a new street war in the Al-Hilal clasico

The Turkish defender continues to stir up crises

Al-Ahli's Turkish defender Merih Demiral sparked a fresh street brawl in the classico against traditional rivals Al-Hilal, having previously done the same against the other rivals, Al-Nassr.

Al-Hilal hosted Al-Ahli today, Tuesday, at the Kingdom Arena, in a rescheduled fixture from the third round of the Saudi Roshn League.

The trouble flared in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. A street brawl erupted between the players of both teams, and Demiral was the primary instigator.

It all began when Al-Hilal's full-back Mohamed Mahzari went in strongly on Al-Ahli's English striker Ivan Toney, before he fell to the ground claiming he had been struck. Toney was booked for it.

Demiral marched over to Mahzari and pulled him by the shirt as he lay on the pitch. That enraged the Al-Hilal players, who confronted the Turkish defender to clash with him, before the Al-Ahli players piled in too.

Once the altercation had settled, the referee showed a yellow card to Demiral. That prompted objections from members of Al-Ahli's technical staff, and one of them was sent off with a red card.

Strangely, Demiral picked up a second yellow before the end of the first half, this time for a strong challenge on Al-Hilal's Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville. Al-Ahli were forced to play the entire second half with just 10 men.

It is worth recalling that Demiral was the central figure in the crisis involving Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr during their match in the second half of last season in the Roshn League, which resulted in a one-match suspension and a fine of 165,000 riyals.