Ronaldo's Saudi club Al Nassr without a coach as Pioli leaves ahead of expected return to Fiorentina
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo waves to fans prior to the Nations League final soccer match between Portugal and Spain at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr is without a coach after Stefano Pioli left Wednesday, with the Italian expected to return home to Fiorentina.
Al Nassr, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, is left without a coach days before the 40-year-old Ronaldo's contract expires Monday.
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The club said in a social media post 'Pioli and his staff are no more the acting coaching staff of the first team.'
Pioli previously coached Fiorentina for two seasons until 2019, then won a Serie A title in five years at AC Milan. The club let him go after the 2023-24 season and he joined Al Nassr months later when Luís Castro was fired.
Al Nassr is seeking a first domestic league title since 2019 and has parted with three full-time coaches since Ronaldo joined the club 2 ½ years ago.
The team will play in the Asian Champions League next season after placing third in the Saudi Pro League. This was secured by winning an end-of-season legal case to be awarded a victory against a team that was judged to have fielded an ineligible player.
Ronaldo was a standout helping Portugal win the UEFA Nations League title this month.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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