Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad have fired former Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo following a string of disappointing results.
The team secured victory in six out of 12 league games this season but suffered a 2-0 loss to Air Force Club of Iraq in the Asian Champions League on Monday.
Nuno, 49, assumed the managerial role at Al-Ittihad in July 2022 after parting ways with Tottenham eight months earlier. Assistant coach Hassan Khalifa will temporarily lead the team. According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Al-Ittihad has approached former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui for the position.
However, Lopetegui, who was replaced by ex-Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil at Wolves in August, is reportedly waiting for an opportunity in the Premier League.
Balague mentioned that it would require a significant offer from Al-Ittihad to lure the 57-year-old away from England. Additionally, the club is reportedly considering ex-France and Paris St-Germain boss Laurent Blanc and former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
Nuno, a Portuguese manager, had a successful stint at Wolves from 2017 to 2021 but had a brief four-month tenure at Spurs before being replaced by Antonio Conte after losing five out of 10 Premier League matches. He guided Al-Ittihad, based in Jeddah, to the Saudi title last season.
However, there were reports of a strained relationship with former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who joined the club in June as part of the influx of stars entering the league.
In a statement on X, Al-Ittihad announced: “The club has declared the termination of its contract with Portuguese coach Nuno Santo.” “This decision follows a comprehensive technical assessment of the period during which he led the first football team.”
Notably, former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and ex-Chelsea and Leicester player N’Golo Kante are among the notable players at Al-Ittihad. The team is currently ranked sixth in the Saudi Pro League and is scheduled to face Abha on Friday.
Source: BBC Sports
