Al-Nassr sack Pioli as Ronaldo awaits new boss

Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian team where Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo plays, announced this Wednesday that Italian Stefano Pioli is no longer their coach after a year on the bench at the Riyadh-based club.

Pioli, 59, arrived at Al-Nassr in September of last year as a replacement for Portuguese coach Luis Castro, after managing Milan for five seasons, with whom he won the 'Scudetto' (Serie A league title) in 2022.

"We thank Mr. Pioli and his team for their dedication during the past season," the Saudi club stated on its social media. Cristiano Ronaldo also posted a farewell message to the Italian coach: "Grazie per tutto!" ('Thank you for everything!').

Pioli did not meet the expectations of the Riyadh club, finishing third in the Saudi League, 13 points behind Al Ittihad, captained by French striker Karim Benzema, and failing to qualify for the next edition of the Asian Champions League.