Al Nassr: Cristiano Ronaldo Gets New Head Coach

Saudi club Al Nassr announced on Wednesday the appointment of Stefano Pioli as their new head coach, taking over from Luis Castro.

Pioli, an experienced Italian manager, replaces Castro following Al Nassr’s underwhelming start to the season, both in domestic competitions and the AFC Champions League.

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“Pioli is Nassrawi,” Al Nassr said a statement on social media platform X.

“We welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach.”

The 58-year-old Pioli, who previously managed AC Milan from 2019 to 2024, guided the club to a Serie A title in 2022. His managerial career, which began in 2003 with Salernitana, has seen him lead several Italian clubs, including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Lazio, and Bologna. Al Nassr will be his first club outside of Italy.

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Castro, Pioli’s Portuguese predecessor, left the club after a short tenure, becoming the third coach to depart since Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile move to Al Nassr in early 2023. Ronaldo, on a contract reportedly worth €400 million over two-and-a-half years, has yet to win a domestic Saudi trophy, though he did secure last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup.

Al Nassr, who finished second in the previous Saudi Pro League season, have struggled early in the new campaign, drawing twice in their first three league matches. They also played out a 1-1 draw with Iraq’s Al Shorta in their AFC Champions League opener on Monday.

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