After 13 consecutive spells in Italy, Stefano Pioli is answering the call of the desert and moving abroad for the first time. The 58-year-old is now training Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané and co. at Al-Nassr
The star ensemble of Al-Nassr is getting a new coach. As the club announced on Wednesday evening, Stefano Pioli is the new sporting director on the touchline.
On Tuesday, the club from the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, which is still unbeaten in the league (one win, two draws), parted company with Luis Castro (63). Overall, the results had clearly not been good enough given the squad with Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, ex-Leipzig player Mohamed Simakan and co. They lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in the Super Cup final and only drew 1-1 against Al-Shorta from the Iraqi capital Baghdad in the Asian Champions League opener.
The 19 again
For Pioli, this is his first ever foreign posting after 13 stints in adult soccer in Italy. AC Milan parted ways with the 58-year-old at the end of May. He won the Scudetto with the Rossoneri in 2021/22, the memory of which Pioli has had tattooed on his left forearm ever since: a 19 for Milan’s 19th championship.
In a way, this number could also serve as a reminder and incentive for him in Saudi Arabia: After all, his ambitious new club has been waiting five years for the next championship title – in other words, since 2019.