Al Nassr Manager Rudi Garcia Sacked Amid Reports Of Rift With Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has reportedly been sacked by the Saudi Arabian club amid reports of a rift with Cristiano Ronaldo and a poor relationship with his squad.

There have been reports in the Saudi media that Ronaldo has been critical of Garcia’s tactics behind the scenes and feels the Frenchman is holding the team back from realizing their potential.

The former Roma, Marseille, and Lyon boss was hired by the Saudi Pro League outfit in June 2022 but is set to leave his position after less than a year.

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Al Nassr are still only three points behind league leaders Al Ittihad but their last outing was a dire 0-0 draw with Al Feiha, which led to Garcia reportedly laying into his players in the dressing room, as per MARCA.

The straw that broke the camel’s back of the club’s patience and triggered his departure was a confrontation he had with his players.

Beyond the extra-sporting shenanigans, Garcia has also failed to live up to the expectations set out in his club’s ambitious project.

With seven games left to play, Al Nassr currently sit second in the standings, three points behind Al Ittihad, to whom they recently lost.

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They were also knocked out of the Arabian Super Cup in the semi-finals against all odds.

Following their latest stumble, Garcia’s post-match press conference was canceled, and Marca claim a dressing room confrontation between the coach and his players was the final straw.

The former Ligue 1 winning Lille manager now looks set to be on his way after less than a year in charge, having also fallen below expectations in the Saudi cup with a semi-final exit.

The 0-0 draw against Al Feiha also saw Ronaldo looking increasingly frustrated with his team and opponents, and was captured telling rival winger Ali Al-Zaqaan: “You don’t want to play,” accusing him of time wasting.

Ronaldo was also seen storming down the tunnel at full-time, removing his captain’s armband without shaking hands with any of his fellow competitors.

According to the Saudi press, via AS, Ronaldo has grown increasingly frustrated with Garcia, and let the club know, and Al Nassr have sided with their superstar signing.