SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr lose Saudi league title to Al-Ittihad
Al-Ittihad clinched the Saudi Pro League title for the first time since 2009 with a 3-0 win at Al-Feiha on Sunday, eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr to the accolade.
A third minute strike by Ahmed Sharahili and two goals from Romarinho secured victory for Al-Ittihad, who made amends for losing the title on the final day of last season.
The Jeddah club have 69 points, five more than Al-Nassr who drew 1-1 with Al-Ettifaq, with one round left to play. Saturday’s result sealed Al-Ittihad their ninth league title.
Sharahili gave the visitors the perfect start, turning in Igor Coronado’s free kick at the far post in the third minute.
Romarinho headed in the second from another Coronado free kick during the first-half stoppage time. The Brazilian scored his second five minutes from the end.
The result handed former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers coach Nuno Espirito Santo his first top flight league title.
In Dammam, Ronaldo endured another frustrating outing and was substituted in the second half as Al-Nassr were held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Ettifaq.
Youssoufou Niakate put Al-Ettifaq ahead two minutes before the break, while Brazilian Luiz Gustavo equalised for Al-Nassr in the 56th minute.
Ronaldo will finish his first season in the country empty-handed after joining the club in January.
-Reuters
Former Super Eagles’ coach, Jose Peseiro is on the line to coach Saudi Arabia Pro League first tier team, Al Riyadh.
Information from the oil rich country indicate that Peseiro who had previously coached the Saudi Arabia national team is one of the two being considered to replace Odair Hellmann at the Saudi club which placed 14th at the end of last season.
It is gathered that Peseiro has a competitor in Spanish cooach, Javier Pereira who is also lineup for the job.
Peseiro had previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Al Nasr’s Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.
The Portuguese 39-year-old scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.
The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.
Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023.
-Reuters
Undefeated Al-Hilal won a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Al-Hazem to reclaim the trophy from Al-Ittihad who won it last season.
Jorge Jesus’ side hold a 12-point advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second with three matches remaining.
Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes but Faiz Selemani netted the equaliser for Al-Hazem in the 34th minute.
However, Jesus’s side took the lead again with an own goal from Ahmed Al-Juwaid in the 39th minute.
Mitrovic scored again in first-half stoppage time and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Al-Hilal are chasing the treble having clinched the Saudi Super Cup title in April, and having reached the Saudi King’s Cup final where they will play Al-Nassr.
-Reuters
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