Article by Cosmin Nistor – published Sunday, September 28, 2025, 10:41 / Updated Sunday, September 28, 2025 10:59
Al-Iittihad officially announced the separation of French coach Laurent Blanc (59 years old), shortly after the defeat from the derby with Al-Nassr, score 0-2.
The match considered the blockbuster of the beginning of the season in Saudi Arabia was categorically dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo's team (40 years). Sadio Mane (33 years old) opened the score in the 9th minute, from the French Pass Kingsley Coman (29 years old). Cristiano Ronaldo set the final score in the 35th minute, from the decisive pass of Senegalese Sadio Mane.
The failure was decisive for the leadership of Al-Ittihad, who chose to give up the 1998 world champion, Laurent Blanc, despite the fact that the Frenchman had managed to win the title and Saudi Arabia Cup last season. They made the official dismissal following a post on X.
📝 | Contract of Contract With First Football Team's Head Coach pic.twitter.com/fkwmzdnneb
-Al-Iitihad Club (@ittihad_en) September 27, 2025
After the party ended, Karim Benzema and Laurent Blanc praised the game provided by Al-Nassr: “Al-Nassr is much stronger than Al-Iitihad”
At the end of the match, both Laurent Blanc and Karim Benzema (37) recognized the superiority of the opponents.
“Al-Nassr is much stronger than Al-Ittihad. This is the reality, even if we do not like it, ”said Blanc.
The French striker went along the same line: “I met a better team than us. It's the truth. “
Former world champion as a player in 1998, Blanc has important teams as head coach, such as Bordeaux, France, PSG (where he won no less than 11 trophies), Lyon and Al-Rayyan. However, the Saudi adventure ended suddenly, just a few stages after the start of the new competitive season.
Al-Nassr, authoritarian leader in Saudi Arabia
With Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in great shape, the Riyadh team has maximum points after four stages (12 of 12). The victory with Al-Iittihad strengthens their status as favorites both in the championship and in the Asian Champions League, where the duel with the Iraqis from Al-Zawraa follows. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in 2023 in Saudi Arabia, not finding a trophy in Al-Nassr's shirt.
98The goals has Cristiano Ronaldo in the 111 matches in the T-shirt of the al-Nassr band
Saudi Arabia ranking
