TDT | Manama
Email: [email protected]
Al Ahli have appointed Spanish coach Marcelo Zubiran…
TDT | Manama
Email: [email protected]
Al Ahli have appointed Spanish coach Marcelo Zubiran as head coach of their senior men’s basketball team ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The move marks the beginning of a new chapter for the club following the departure of Bahraini coach Ahmed Jan, who returned to the Eagles ahead of last season after previously leading the team between September 2020 and October 2021.
During his first spell, Jan guided Al Ahli to back-to-back league titles before later taking charge of other teams, including rivals Muharraq.
Zubiran arrives with an impressive coaching résumé, having led Gibraltar’s women’s national team to the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries title. He has also coached Tunisian side US Monastir and gained experience across the German, Italian and Colombian leagues.
Among his notable achievements, the Spaniard was named Colombian League Coach of the Year in 2023. He also guided Nuovo Basket Aquilano to promotion to Italy’s Serie B and led Germany’s Girolive Panthers Osnabrück to both league and cup finals.
Known for favouring a fast-paced style of play, Zubiran places a strong emphasis on defensive discipline while developing individual and team performances. He has also earned a reputation for promoting young players, qualities Al Ahli hope will help strengthen their squad and boost their competitiveness ahead of the new campaign.
Al Ahli enjoyed a competitive 2025-26 season, finishing fourth in the Zain Bahrain Basketball League regular season before reaching the play-off semi-finals. However, their title hopes ended with a 3-0 sweep against eventual champions Muharraq in the best-of-five series.
They also reached the Khalifa bin Salman Cup semi-finals, where they were again eliminated by Muharraq after a 2-0 sweep in the best-of-three series, with the Red Wolves going on to lift the trophy.
Those results highlighted Muharraq’s recent dominance of Bahraini basketball, as they completed a domestic treble by winning the Zain Bahrain Basketball League, the Super Cup and the Khalifa bin Salman Cup.
Zubiran will now be tasked with helping Al Ahli close that gap as the club aim to challenge for major honours once again. With 20 league titles to their name, the Eagles remain one of Bahrain’s most successful basketball clubs, sitting five championships behind record holders Manama.
Meanwhile, Muharraq’s latest triumph secured their second consecutive league title, underlining their status as the current benchmark in Bahraini basketball.
