Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr missed a huge opportunity to play for the Asian Champions League title. The 3-2 defeat against Kawasaki Frontale of Japan dashed their hopes of winning a trophy that Ronaldo has never conquered. This elimination will likely have consequences within a team that has yet to win an official trophy since CR7’s arrival, with the exception of the Arab Club Champions Cup, which is not recognized by FIFA.
Alhazza Mutab, a sports journalist for the Saudi Sport newspaper and a member of the Saudi Federation of Sports Media, announced that coach Stefano Pioli will not continue to lead the team next season. This news was echoed on the X (formerly Twitter) account @TheNassrZone, dedicated to Al Nassr news. They also point out that the Italian coach “caused problems” for many players on the squad, although they did not specify the nature of the issues between the coach and his players.
Pioli’s short tenure
Pioli, 59, arrived at Al Nassr last September to succeed Portuguese coach Luís Castro. He came from Milan, where he managed from 2019 to 2024, winning the 2021/22 Serie A title. However, he did not replicate this success in his first experience outside of Italy. He has a record of 25 wins, 6 draws, and 8 losses in 39 matches.
Despite a 69% winning record, key defeats defined his cycle. After a good start and eight games unbeaten, this run came to an end with an elimination against Al Taawoun in the round of 16 of the King’s Cup of Champions. Pioli also lost both league matches against Al Qadsiah, a newly promoted team, and was knocked out of the Asian Champions League against a debutant in the semi-final stage. His team is also eight points behind Al Ittihad, the leader of the Saudi Pro League, whom they will face on Wednesday in a crucial match with five games remaining.
Pioli’s contract and Ronaldo’s future
The news surrounding Stefano Pioli’s future, which could lead to the interruption of his contract that, according to Transfermarkt, extends until June 30, 2027, comes amid the likely multi-million dollar renewal of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract.
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Cristiano Ronaldo shares open-hearted message after Al Nassr’s shock AFC Champions League elimination
According to the portal 365scores, the 40-year-old forward would receive an annual salary of 183 million euros. He is reportedly in talks to acquire 5% of Al Nassr’s shares and would have total freedom in signings, with one target in sight: Casemiro, his former teammate from his golden era at Real Madrid, who scored a goal in Manchester United’s 3-0 victory over Athletic Club of Bilbao in the Europa League semi-finals.
