
Postecoglou appointed Al Nassr coach, tasked with leading Ronaldo’s Asian charge
The Australian, out of management since a bruising 39‑day spell at Nottingham Forest, joins the Saudi champions on a two‑year contract and inherits a squad built around the Portuguese forward.
Al Nassr confirmed on Friday that former Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has been appointed head coach on a two‑year deal, ending the most protracted idle period of his coaching career.
The Greek‑born Australian steps into the dugout vacated by Jorge Jesus, who guided the Riyadh club to its first Saudi Pro League title in seven seasons on the final day of the campaign. Postecoglou will oversee a squad anchored by Cristiano Ronaldo and supplemented by Sadio Mané, Kingsley Coman and João Félix — a group assembled with the clear ambition of defending the domestic crown and, more pressingly, delivering the AFC Champions League Elite trophy that has eluded the club. Viewed from Sydney, the move is a sharp pivot for a coach whose reputation in Europe was dented by two brief Premier League tenures: he lifted the Europa League with Tottenham in 2025 only to be dismissed two weeks later after a 17th‑placed league finish, then lasted just 39 days and eight winless matches at Nottingham Forest before being sacked in October.
The 60‑year‑old brings substantial silverware credentials from earlier postings — an Asian Cup with Australia in 2015, a J.League title with Yokohama F. Marinos, and five major trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including a domestic treble — though how his trademark high‑tempo game translates to the intense Saudi heat remains an open question. Saudi commentators note that Postecoglou has frequently delivered trophies in his second season, a pattern Al Nassr hope will repeat itself.
His first competitive assignment will be the King of Cup Champions Clash against Diriyah on 16 August, with the overarching target being continental success in a competition that represents the ultimate test of the club’s ambitious project.
How the same story is told elsewhere.
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Ange Postecoglou, sacked by Nottingham Forest after just 39 days, has signed a two-year contract with Al-Nassr to coach Cristiano Ronaldo. The club's announcement marks a new chapter, but the recent failure is noted.
Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as the new head coach of Al-Nassr on a two-season contract, replacing Jorge Jesus. The club's official announcement welcomes him, and the coverage focuses on the new chapter for the team.
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