Al Nassr, the Saudi football club featuring Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, announced on Wednesday that Stefano Pioli has been appointed as their new head coach.Pioli, an Italian manager, takes over from Luis Castro, who parted ways with the club on Tuesday following an underwhelming start to both the domestic season and the AFC Champions League campaign.”Pioli is Nassrawi,” the club announced in a statement on the social media platform X, officially welcoming their new coach.The 58-year-old Pioli previously managed AC Milan from October 2019 until May 2024, where he led the club to a Serie A title in 2022. Before his successful run with Milan, Pioli managed several prominent Italian clubs, including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Lazio, and Bologna.##NAJAVA_MECA_8342704##Pioli’s managerial career began in 2003 with Salernitana, and prior to joining Al Nassr, he had spent his entire coaching career in Italy.His predecessor, Castro, was the third manager to leave Al Nassr since Ronaldo’s high-profile arrival in early 2023. Ronaldo’s contract with the Riyadh-based club reportedly earned him 400 million euros over two and a half years.Despite his numerous individual accolades, Ronaldo has yet to claim a domestic trophy with Al Nassr. His only piece of silverware since joining is last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup. Al Nassr finished as runners-up in the Saudi Pro League last season and have struggled at the start of this campaign, drawing twice in their first three matches. Most recently, they drew 1-1 with Iraq’s Al Shorta in their AFC Champions League opener.PIOLI IS NASSRAWI🔥💛We welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach 🤩 pic.twitter.com/qNnmZU7nyQ— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) September 18, 2024 New coach, same mission—achieving greatness together 💛Welcome Mr. Pioli 🤩 pic.twitter.com/9qt2VAWPJQ— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) September 18, 2024
