Al-Nassr confirms manager Rudi Garcia has LEAVED the club ‘by mutual agreement’ after reports claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was ‘unsatisfied’ with the coach’s tactics and had a ‘fierce dressing room spat with his players’
- Al-Nassr has confirmed in a statement that Rudi Garcia has left the Saudi club
- There were reports that Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy with his tactics
- The club recently dropped to second place behind Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League
Al-Nassr has confirmed that manager Rudi Garcia has left the club ‘by mutual agreement’ after reports that relations with his players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, deteriorated.
The Saudi Pro League club confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday and the Frenchman has left the club with immediate effect.
Reports in recent days had suggested Garcia was close to being sacked, after an eight-month spell at the club.
Garcia was said to have had a “flaming dressing room with his players” after a goalless draw against Al-Feiha on Sunday, and that £175 million-a-year star Ronaldo was “unsatisfied” with the coach’s tactics.
A statement on social media read: ‘Al-Nassr can announce that Head Coach Rudi Garcia has left the Club by mutual agreement.
Al-Nassr has confirmed that Rudi Garcia has left the Saudi club ‘by mutual agreement’
Garcia (left) was at the club for eight months but there were recent reports that he had a blazing row with his players and that Ronaldo was ‘unsatisfied’ with his tactics
Ronaldo stormed off the field last weekend after Al-Nassr’s disappointing 0-0 draw
“The board and everyone at Al-Nassr would like to thank Rudi and his staff for their dedicated work over the past 8 months.”
Garcia’s departure comes in the wake of Ronaldo’s irate tirade that saw him storm off the pitch on Sunday, barking at opposing players that they ‘don’t want to play’
The former star of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus then marched through the tunnel full-time.
Garcia criticized Al-Nassr players after that performance, saying, “I’m not satisfied with [their] performance.
“I asked them to play at the same level as the previous game [a 5-0 win over Al-Adalah]but this did not happen.’
Spanish outlet Marka claimed that Ronaldo felt Garcia could get more out of his teammates.
Garcia took over this summer, replacing Argentine Miguel Angel Russo.
Now the club is looking for another replacement to guide Ronaldo and Co to the Saudi Pro League title.
Keeping Ronaldo happy will be a big task for whoever replaces Garcia.
Ahead of Sunday’s tirade, Ronaldo previously showed his frustration when he kicked a bottle after his side were beaten 1-0 by title rivals Al-Ittihad in March.
During the match, Ronaldo was met with taunts of ‘Messi, Messi’, referring to his old rival for the world’s greatest player for more than a decade.
More to follow…