Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad are set to appoint Stefano Pioli as their new head coach on a three-year contract.
Former Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio manager Pioli stepped down from his position as Milan head coach at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The 58-year-old will now join Al Ittihad, who parted ways with Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo earlier this week. Gallardo, 48, was sacked in May but he remained at the Saudi club for the remaining matches of the season.
Pioli — who was replaced by Paulo Fonseca — led Milan to their first Scudetto for 11 years in 2021/22, having ended the club’s seven-year wait for Champions League football the season before.
In 2022-23, the Italian guided Milan to the semi-final of the Champions League, overseeing knockout victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli before losing 3-0 on aggregate to city rivals Inter at the semi-final stage.
Al Ittihad missed out on qualification for the Asian Champions League, while former River Plate head coach Gallardo also had problems with star striker Karim Benzema.
Gallardo was appointed in November 2023, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at Al Ittihad, and had been under contract until June 2025 with an option to renew through to 2027.
(Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Read the full article here