Frenchman Laurent Blanc has been appointed to replace Argentine Marcelo Gallardo as coach of Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, home to 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
Twelve years after coaching him with the French national team during Euro 2012, the coach reunites with the former Real Madrid striker. At 58, Blanc has been without a team since being sacked by Qatari club Al-Rayyan in February 2022.
Welcome to Al-Ittihad, Coach Laurent Blanc 🤝🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/UdBm7gB1lE
— Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) July 13, 2024
The French coach, who won the World Cup as a player in 1998, will be the third coach in a year for Al-Ittihad, who finished fifth in the last Saudi championship, 42 points behind champions Al-Hilal, failing to qualify for the Asian Champions League.
These poor results cost Marcelo Gallardo his job and, in addition, the club blamed the Argentine coach for having sidelined star Benzema for a while.
Gallardo arrived at the Saudi club in mid-November, when he replaced Portuguese Nuno Espírito Santo, who had led the club to win the Saudi championship in 2023.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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