RIYADH, Sept 19 — Saudi club Al Nassr announced Wednesday the appointment of Stefano Pioli as coach of the side headed up by Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Italian replaces Luis Castro, who parted ways with the club on Tuesday after a slow start to the season, both domestically and in the AFC Champions League.

"Pioli is Nassrawi,” Al Nassr said a statement on social media platform X.

"We welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach.”

The 58-year-old was AC Milan boss from October 2019 to May 2024, and oversaw the club’s Serie A title-winning campaign in 2022.

Prior to his near five-year stint at the Rossoneri, Pioli coached Italian sides including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Lazio and Bologna.

He started his managerial career in 2003 with Salernitana and had worked exclusively in his native Italy up until his appointment by Al Nassr.

His Portuguese predecessor Castro was the third coach to depart Al Nassr since Ronaldo’s groundbreaking arrival in early 2023 on a contract that was said to net him 400 million euros over two-and-a-half years.

The highly decorated Ronaldo is yet to win a Saudi trophy with the Riyadh club, with his sole silverware so far being last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup.

Al Nassr, who finished a distant second in the last Saudi Pro League season, have drawn twice in three matches at the start of the new campaign and on Monday drew 1-1 with Iraq’s Al Shorta in their AFC Champions League Elite opener. — AFP