Riyadh, Saudi Arabia– Al Ittihad have sacked former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the Saudi champions said, following a poor run of results under the Portuguese coach.
Nuno was under pressure because of their struggles in the Saudi Pro League, and the club brought down the axe following a 2-0 defeat to Air Force Club of Iraq in the Asian Champions League on Monday.
Nuno, who enjoyed a successful spell as Wolverhampton Wanderers boss from 2017-2021, had been in charge of Jeddah-based Al Ittihad since July last year.
The former Porto coach took Al Ittihad to the Saudi title last season, but there were reports of a difficult relationship with striker Karim Benzema, who joined the club in June this year as part of the influx of foreign stars into the Pro League.
“The club has announced the end of its contract with Portuguese coach Nuno Santo,” Al Ittihad said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This decision comes after a comprehensive technical evaluation of the past phase during which he was in charge of coaching the first football team.”
Assistant coach Hassan Khalifa will take temporary charge while the club finalize a replacement for Nuno, the statement said.
Nuno was appointed Tottenham manager in the summer of 2021, but lasted just four months before he was sacked.