Al-Ittihad Sack Laurent Blanc After 2-0 Defeat to Al-Nassr, Hassan Khalifa Appointed as New Coach

Al-Ittihad have parted ways with head coach Laurent Blanc following a 2–0 defeat to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

The club announced the decision on social media, stating that they have terminated their contractual relationship with Blanc and his coaching staff. They also expressed their intention to recruit new technical staff that aligns with the club's ambitions.

Blanc, who took charge of Al-Ittihad in July 2024, led the team to a domestic double in his first season, securing both the Saudi Pro League title and the King's Cup. However, the current season has seen a challenging start, with the team exiting the Saudi Super Cup in the semi-finals and now sitting third in the league standings, three points behind Al-Nassr.

In the match, Al-Nassr secured a commanding 2–0 win over Al-Ittihad, driven by goals from Sadio Mané and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mané opened the scoring nine minutes into the match and later assisted Ronaldo's header in the 35th minute. This victory marks Al-Nassr’s fourth consecutive win, putting them at the top of the standings with 12 points, three points ahead of defending champions Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo’s goal was his fourth of the league season, placing him second in the scoring charts behind teammate Joao Felix.

Al-Ittihad managed only two shots on target and were unable to get past Al-Nassr's Brazilian goalkeeper Bento, despite a brief resurgence in the second half.

In the interim, club captain Hassan Khalifa has been appointed as the new head coach, assisted by U21 head coach Ivan Carrasco. This appointment will remain in effect until the club finalizes an agreement with a new technical staff that meets the team's objectives and the aspirations of its loyal fans.