Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club, Al Nasr have decided to fire manager Rudi Garcia. The move comes amid allegations that Cristiano Ronaldo is not happy with the Frenchman, as reported by Saudi daily ‘al alami’ When Ronaldo made his Saudi Pro League debut in January, Al Nasr were on top of the Saudi Pro League points table. The mid-season arrival of the Portuguese icon was expected to boost the team’s title hopes even further.
However, Al Nasr are now three points behind league leaders Al Ittihad. The 0-1 loss to Al Ittihad was a huge blow to Al Nasr and now the latter have slipped down the points table to second place. Adding to the woes, Garcia’s side drew 0-0 against 11th-placed Al Fayhah, Sunday. With just seven games remaining, Al Nasr face the daunting task of defeating Al-Ittihad to clinch the title.
Meanwhile, the club’s recent struggles have reportedly frustrated captain Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner believes that Garcia is responsible for the team’s slump.
Al Nasr have decided to terminate Garcia’s contract amid rumours of Ronaldo’s displeasure, sources said Thursday. The management of the club has become impatient due to Garcia’s failure to deliver results. Ronaldo has just added fuel to the fire. The decision to sack Garcia will be announced shortly, sources said.
The club’s former under-19s manager Ivo Milic is being discussed as an option to lead the side until the end of the season. According to Saudi TV channel ‘SSC Sports’ Al Nasr may also hire again Garcia’s predecessor, Miguel Angel Russo.
According to the Emirati TV channel ‘Dubai Sports’, Ronaldo is also unhappy with the quality of players in the Al-Nassr. He has referred the names of some players to the management of the Saudi club as replacements.
The Saudi Pro League giants are set to sign more elite players in the coming months. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is one of the big stars associated with his move to Al Nasr.
