Since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in early 2023, increasingly Portuguese gamers and coaches have discovered alternatives within the Saudi Professional League. Now, Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad has reportedly agreed to rent a coach from Portugal.
Final week, Al Ittihad misplaced a vital league match towards Al Nassr, which led to the stunning choice to half methods with Laurent Blanc. The French coach had been in cost for simply over a 12 months and had achieved robust outcomes, guiding the crew to the 2024–25 Saudi Professional League title and the King’s Cup. However that wasn’t sufficient to fulfill the board of administrators.
When saying Blanc’s departure, Al Ittihad acknowledged that Hassan Khalifa would take over on an interim foundation till a brand new coach was appointed. That plan was put into motion, as Khalifa led Benzema and his teammates in Tuesday’s 1–0 loss to Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates within the AFC Champions League Elite. That outcome could have sped up the seek for Blanc’s substitute.
“Al Ittihad attain verbal settlement to nominate Sérgio Conceição as new head coach,” reported journalist Fabrizio Romano on Thursday by way of his official X account. “The deal is at superior levels simply fixing the size of the contract more likely to be for subsequent two years,” added the Italian reporter. “Conceição mentioned sure to Al Ittihad.”
Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao.
Who’s Sergio Conceicao?
Sergio Conceicao was a standout winger who performed professionally via the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, showing for high golf equipment like Porto, Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan. After retiring within the 2009–10 season, he transitioned into teaching, a profession he has pursued virtually constantly since 2012.
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As a coach, Conceicao has steadily climbed the ranks. He began with modest golf equipment like Olhanense, Academica, Braga, and Vitoria Guimaraes earlier than touchdown extra high-profile alternatives at Nantes in France, Porto, and most just lately, AC Milan.
His most profitable spell got here at Porto, the place he coached from 2017 to 2024, overseeing 379 matches with a win price of 72.3%. Throughout that point, Conceicao received eleven titles. His newest stint at Milan was much less profitable, lasting below six months with a 51.6% win price.
Ronaldo and Conceicao
The potential arrival of Sergio Conceicao at Al Ittihad would mark one other Portuguese star becoming a member of the Saudi Professional League. Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the league additionally options fellow Portuguese gamers like Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo. Al Nassr’s head coach, Jorge Jesus, can be Portuguese.
Conceicao and Ronaldo additionally share a quick historical past as teammates. When Cristiano was simply starting his skilled journey and incomes his first call-ups to the Portugal nationwide crew in 2003, he briefly overlapped with Conceicao, who performed his remaining worldwide matches that very same 12 months.
