Former Manchester United star and France's World Cup-winning defender Laurent Blanc has been relieved of his duties as head coach of Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad. The decision came only a day after the reigning Saudi champions suffered a 2-0 defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr. It was Al-Ittihad's third defeat in the 2025-26 campaign, which led to Blanc's sacking.
Blanc lasted just over a year at Al-Ittihad
Blanc, who had formerly managed French giants like Bordeaux, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2024. In his maiden season in Saudi Arabia, Blanc guided the Karim Benzema-led club to a domestic double as Al-Ittihad won the Saudi Pro League and the King's Cup. However, his honeymoon period got over quickly as the club went down 2-1 against Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final last month. They lost two more matches in September, including a defeat in their AFC Champions League opener against Al Wahda and then went down 2-0 against Al-Nassr on Friday.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBlanc sacked after Al-Nassr loss
A day after Al-Nassr beat Al-Ittihad 2-0 courtesy of goals from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Saudi champions decided to part ways with their head coach, as they formally announced Blanc's departure on social media. Their statement read: "Al-Ittihad announces the termination of its contractual relationship with the first team’s head coach, Mr Laurent Blanc and his coaching staff."
'I am surprised'
After the loss against Al-Nassr, Blanc was asked about his future at Al-Ittihad, to which he had replied: "This is our first loss in a long time. We have achieved 17 wins and one draw in our last 18 home matches. So, I am surprised by this question, and we must review the results.
"I’m having defensive problems that I’ve discussed before. I don’t have many solutions, as they depend on the available players. Currently, I only have Ahmed Sharahili and Yassin [Al Jaber]. Injuries are part of football, but the pressure of matches [every three days] has made the situation more difficult, and most of the injuries have been in the back line."
Getty Images SportXavi could replace Blanc
According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Al-Ittihad management are considering replacing Blanc with former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez and they reached out to the Spaniard to enquire about his availability.
