Stefano Pioli is reportedly set to leave Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr. The Italian manager will not return to the club after the summer break.
According to a report by Mutab bin Abdullah Al-Hazza, Al-Nassr have decided against continuing with Pioli. The club appointed the former AC Milan boss in September 2024 after sacking Luis Castro following a slow start to the season.
Although Ronaldo’s side have managed to close the gap and move back to third in the table, a league triumph looks unlikely. They are eight points behind leaders Al Ittihad, whom they face next week in the Saudi Pro League.
Earlier this season, SportItalia’s Gianluigi Longari reported that Pioli had off-the-pitch issues with his players. The report claimed the manager had a poor relationship with many, including Cristiano Ronaldo, in the dressing room.
The manager’s failure to win the league title and the off-pitch issues have led to Al-Nassr’s decision to part ways with him.
Jose Mourinho has been linked with Al-Nassr in the past, and the former Real Madrid manager has acknowledged that he wants to work in the Saudi Pro League. He said in 2023:
Ronaldo has worked with Mourinho at Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho spoke to Fabrizio Romano in 2024 and claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo opened the doors for all in the Saudi Pro League. The Portuguese tactician added that although an offer was on the table, he rejected it as he was happy at AS Roma. Mourinho said via GOAL:
Cristiano Ronaldo is in talks to extend his stay in the Saudi Pro League. He has acknowledged that he wants to retire from Al-Nassr.
Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.
Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.
If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.
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