Italian coach Stefano Pioli was appointed on Wednesday to succeed Portuguese Luis Castro in leading Saudi club Al-Nassr, a team that includes Portuguese international duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Otavio.
Al-Riyadh Club officially announced via social media: “Welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach.”
Stefano Pioli, 58, was without a club and arrives to victory with the Italian champion title won in 2021/22 at the helm of Milan.
Al-Nassr sacked the Portuguese coach on Tuesday, a day after his first appearance in the AFC Champions League, a 1-1 draw with visiting Iraqi Al-Shorta, in what was the second match in a row without a win for the Saudis, who achieved only one victory in their last five matches.
Luis Castro, 63, arrived at Al-Nassr last season after leaving Botafogo at the top of the Brazilian league, but he was unable to lead the Saudi club to win the country's main titles.
In 14 months, Luis Castro won only the Arab Champions League, but fell in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League and lost the final of the Super Cup and the Saudi Cup to Al Hilal, led by Jorge Jesus, who also became a champion.
This season, after three rounds, Al-Nasr remained in seventh place in the Saudi League, with five points, four points behind the top three, which includes Al-Hilal.
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