After the departure of Luis Castro, Saudi club Al-Nassr decided to set their sights on Stefano Pioli, sacked at the end of last season by AC Milan. With the Italian on their bench, Faris Najd hope to finally return to the top of Saudi and Asian football after a very disappointing campaign. Indeed, Al-Nassr had only won the Arab Champions Cup after eliminations in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League, the final of the Saudi Cup, the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup and a second place in the championship. The debut of the new rock star Stefano Pioli was full of success by inflicting the first defeat of the season on Al-Ettifaq coached by Steven Gerrard. Great atmosphere, connection with Cristiano Ronaldo and a reunion with victory… All the ingredients were there.
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«I am happy with Pioli’s arrival and the decision to hire him was taken collectively. What matters most is the best interests of the team. If we hired a Spanish coach, the fans would say it was because of me; if it was an Italian, they would say it was because of Guido Fienga; if it was a Portuguese, they would associate it with Cristiano Ronaldo. In football, you often wait for the right moment to make decisions. We did not sack Castro too early because we were waiting for the right moment. We understand that a team of the stature of Al-Nassr will always be scrutinized if the results are not good. It is natural for a big club, and we are here to improve the situation within the club.“, said the sporting director, Fernando Hierro. And for the moment, the marriage between Al Nassr and Stefano Pioli begins in the most beautiful way.
Read Al-Nassr: When Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates for his son
Already a significant victory!
Al-Nassr beat Al-Ettifaq (3-0) thanks to a goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo on penalty on Friday. The Portuguese thus gave victory to Stefano Pioli in his first match as coach of the Saudi club: “What I saw from the players in this match was very satisfying for me. We have high-level local and foreign players, and our goal is to participate in all tournaments. I will leave my mark with Al-Nassr. The reason why I joined Al-Nassr is very clear, the reason is that I want to win championships. I watched all of Al-Nassr’s matches this season, but now we have to focus on the future. The team has the potential to achieve good results” he said in a press conference after the match. Great enthusiasm in the stands, the fans have already started to sing that “Pioli is on fire” in the stands that the AC Milan fans were singing to celebrate the former Rossoneri coach.
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How to end Al-Hilal’s domination? This is the plan of all the Saudi giants who hope to thwart the troops of Neymar, Malcom, Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandar Mitrović. The former coach has his clear idea and his precise project: “We will work on the development of the whole team and use all available resources. We will build our style of play without waiting for the opponent’s tactics. The next matches will teach me more about the strengths, weaknesses and capabilities of the team. We hope to achieve positive results” Stefano Pioli has already found the three points that Al-Nassr have been missing for two matches: the last success dates back to the end of August, then two consecutive draws. Ronaldo and his teammates are currently in fourth place, awaiting the other matches that will close the weekend. The next match is scheduled for Monday against Al-Hazem in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.
Pub. and 9/21/2024 1:33 PM MAY and 9/21/2024 7:53 PM
