Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has been given one game to save his job as their Saudi Pro League title challenge falls apart.
The Knights of Najd had been flying high when they brought in superstar attacker Cristiano Ronaldo in December. But since his arrival, they have stumbled, drawing four games and losing once to drop three points behind new leaders Al-Ittihad.
They have just seven games remaining to overhaul Nuno Espirito Santo's side, with Al-Nassr chiefs considering an extraordinary move to replace Garcia. The Frenchman has been in charge of the Saudi side since last summer, having left Lyon in 2021.
According to ESPN, Garcia now has just one game to save his job as he attempts to fight for his future. He will be expected to beat fourth-placed Al-Hilal if he wants to stay at Mrsool Park.
It will not be easy for Garcia though, with Al-Hilal being both their biggest rivals and the reigning Asian champions. The Saudi Pro League has one of the highest rates of manager dismissals in the world, with coaches averaging just over four months in their post.
In their last outing, Al-Nassr could only manage a goalless draw against lowly Al-Feiha. The result left Ronaldo furious, with the attacker angrily hitting out at an opposition player, though Garcia blasted his players for their performance.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Has Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr been a failure? Comment below.
"The result is definitely bad, and we are not happy. I don’t feel satisfied with the players' performance. I asked them to play at the same level as the last game [a 5-0 win over Al-Adalah], but this didn’t happen," Garcia said.
"There are seven games left, we will try to recover, and we realize that it’s not easy after we lost two points, but everything is possible."
It was the latest evidence that Garcia's relationship with Ronaldo has been fraught since the former Manchester United star's arrival. The news that Garcia's job is in jeopardy comes after reports that Ronaldo has been left 'unsatisfied' with the manager, according to AS.
The Portugal international does not want any more mistakes from his side in the title run-in. He believes that Al-Nassr have the potential to reach a much higher level, one which Garcia is not yet managing.
Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in 10 games since moving to Saudi Arabia, but recent results have darkened their title prospects. He has made his frustrations clear to Al-Nassr chiefs, who now appear to have acted.
Al-Nassr travel to Riyadh city rivals Al-Hilal next Tuesday night, with the two sides playing out a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day. It seems Garcia will need to better that result if he is to keep his job.
