Stefano Pioli's brief and unhappy spell as Al Nassr manager has come to an end after the Saudi Pro League club confirmed his departure on Wednesday.
Pioli, 59, is expected to take over at Serie A side Fiorentina, who he spent six seasons with as a player in the early 1990s and previously managed between 2017-19.
The Italian enjoyed a strong first few months in charge of Nassr after taking over in September 2024, but results deteriorated as the season progressed.
Pioli won the Serie A title as boss of AC Milan before moving to Saudi Arabia. He was also named Serie A coach of the year in 2022.
“Al Nassr Club Company informs that Mr Pioli and his staff are no more the acting coaching staff of the first team. We would like to thank Mr Pioli and his staff for their dedicated work during the past season,” the club said in a statement posted to their social media channels.
Nassr finished the 2024/25 season without silverware, eventually trailing home third in the SPL and missing out on Asian Champions League (ACL) qualification – 13 points adrift of champions Al Ittihad and five behind their city rivals Al Hilal, who were second.
They were also upset by Al Taawoun in the last 16 of the King's Cup and lost the Super Cup final 4-1 to Hilal.
Worse was to come as they suffered a humiliating exit in the semi-finals of last season's ACL, dumped out by Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah in a match they had been heavily favoured to win.
Among the early names mentioned as a potential successor to Pioli is his compatriot Luciano Spalletti, who is available having left the Italian national team job earlier this month.
Belgian Marc Brys, currently in charge of Cameroon, has also been mentioned, while social media speculation even linked the club with a controversial move for the former Hilal coach Jorge Jesus.
Whoever takes over will seek immediate assurances over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Pro League's top scorer.
Ronaldo, 40, has been the face of Saudi Arabian football since arriving in Riyadh in January 2023, but speculation over his future intensified after a cryptic social media message following Nassr’s final match of the season against Al Fateh.
“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wrote, fuelling rumours he could move on.
The striker appeared to contradict that message in the aftermath of Portugal's Nations League victory over Spain when he hinted he would be extending his contract.
However, with less than a week remaining on his current deal, an extension is yet to be announced.
Nassr's sporting director Fernando Hierro said that the club was working hard to thrash out fresh terms.
“Ronaldo’s contract runs until June 30. We’re working to renew it so he can continue with us,” Hierro told reporters earlier this month.
