Just hours after securing the Saudi Pro League title and bouncing back from a painful continental collapse, Al-Nassr dismantled Damac Club 4-1 at Al-Awwal Park. But the resounding victory was immediately overshadowed by a managerial shift that could reunite the game’s biggest stars. Following the final whistle on Thursday night, 71-year-old Portuguese head coach Jorge Jesus officially confirmed his departure from the Saudi champions. When pressed about the intensifying reports that departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is in line to succeed him, Jesus confidently stated that Guardiola should be “proud” to replace him in the dugout.
The coaching change comes at a tense moment for the Riyadh club. Just days prior, Al-Nassr suffered a 1-0 defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final, a match that ended with a visibly frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo walking off the pitch without accepting his runner-up medal, according to a report from the Times of India. The Portuguese forward channeled that frustration onto the pitch against Damac. Sadio Mané opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Kingsley Coman doubled the lead early in the second half. Ronaldo then took over, scoring in the 62nd and 80th minutes to put the game entirely out of reach, rendering a 57th-minute penalty kick from Damac’s Morlaye Sylla irrelevant.
If Guardiola accepts the Al-Nassr job, it would unite him with Ronaldo while concluding a 10-year stint at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola amassed 18 major trophies in England, though Manchester City conceded the Premier League title to Arsenal this week. With Guardiola’s departure imminent, Manchester City is actively lining up former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as his replacement, per India Today. Meanwhile, Jesus has his sights set on taking over as the head coach of the Portugal national team, leaving Al-Nassr to desperately search for a new tactician to restore their dominance.