Saudi club Al Nassr on Wednesday announced the appointment of Italian coach Stefano Pioli as their new head coach. This decision comes after the departure of Luis Castro, who parted ways with the club on Tuesday following a slow start to the season both domestically and in the AFC Champions League.
"Pioli is Nassrawi," Al Nassr stated on social media platform X. "We welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach."
The 58-year-old Pioli brings a wealth of experience to Al Nassr, having previously managed AC Milan from October 2019 to May 2024. During his tenure at Milan, he led the team to a Serie A title in the 2021-2022 season.
Before his successful stint at Milan, Pioli coached several other Italian clubs, including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Lazio, and Bologna. He began his managerial career in 2003 with Salernitana and had worked exclusively in Italy until this recent appointment.Pioli's predecessor, Luis Castro, was the third coach to leave Al Nassr since Cristiano Ronaldo's high-profile arrival in early 2023. Ronaldo, who signed a contract reportedly worth 400 million euros over two-and-a-half years, has yet to win a Saudi trophy with the Riyadh-based club. His only silverware so far is last year's Arab Club Champions Cup.
Al Nassr finished second in the previous Saudi Pro League season and have drawn twice in three matches at the start of the new campaign. They also drew 1-1 with Iraq's Al Shorta in their AFC Champions League Elite opener on Monday.
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