Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr begin negotiations to appoint Italian manager as new head coach: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo may soon get a new manager at Al-Nassr as his side have opened talks with former AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli over a move. The Saudi Pro League giants have failed to impress at the start of the 2024-25 season, leading manager Luis Castro to come under fire.
Italian manager Pioli has been without a job since Milan relieved him of his duties at the end of the 2023-24 season. The Serie A giants have since appointed former Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca as his replacement at the San Siro.
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports Al-Nassr have commenced talks with Stefano Pioli to take over from Luis Castro if they do decide to part ways with the Portuguese manager. The news comes after Al-Nassr played out a 1-1 draw with Iraqi outfit Al-Shorta SC in their AFC Champions League Elite opener on Monday, September 16.
Al-Nassr appointed Castro in July 2023 as a replacement for Rudi Garcia, who led the side to a second-place finish in the 2022-23 league season. Castro could also only manage a second-place finish despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 35 league goals in the 2023-24 season.
Pioli, meanwhile, led AC Milan to the Serie A title in the 2021-22 season, having also previously managed Inter Milan and Fiorentina in the Italian top flight. He has never worked outside Italy but came close to doing so this summer. Al-Ittihad were close to appointing him as their new manager to replace Marcelo Gallardo, but they went with Laurent Blanc instead.
Cristiano Ronaldo-less Al-Nassr held by Iraqi outfit
Cristiano Ronaldo was absent as his Al-Nassr teammates failed to pick up a win in their AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al-Shorta. The Saudi giants drew 1-1 away from home.
Ronaldo missed the clash due to a viral infection, with defender Aymeric Laporte also missing out. Al-Nassr went ahead through Sultan Al-Ghannam after just 14 minutes but saw their opponents equalize 10 minutes later through Mohammed Dawood.
Following their draw in the AFC Champions League, Al-Nassr will now focus on returning to winning ways in the Saudi Pro League. Their next game is against Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq on Friday, September 20.