Al-Nassr part ways with coach Rudi Garcia after inconsistent results and player unrest

RIYADH: If the title race in the Roshn Saudi League was not dramatic enough, Al-Nassr decided to part ways with head coach Rudi Garcia on Thursday after a late-night board meeting the previous day. 

The Riyadh giants are currently second in the standings, three points behind Al-Ittihad with seven games to play, but the French tactician has been ousted just days before a huge derby against city rivals Al-Hilal as the Yellows chase their 10th league title.

According to sources at the club, there has been some disquiet about Garcia’s performance and tactics from both management and players, especially captain and star Cristiano Ronaldo, and relations behind the scenes have worsened of late.

The former Roma, Marseille and Lyon boss, who won the French title with Lille in 2011, was hired last summer and immediately handed some big-name signings in goalkeeper David Ospina — the Colombian star joining from Napoli — and in-demand full-back Ghislain Konan, as well as former Bayern Munich and Brazil international midfielder Luiz Gustavo.

With Pity Martinez, 2018 South American Player of the Year, and Anderson Talisca also available, as well as a number of star local players, there was a little disappointment at Mrsool Park that, given the talent at the coach’s disposal, Al-Nassr have not been more dominant this season, even if results have been far from poor.

Ronaldo arrived at the end of December to massive worldwide fanfare to join a club at the top of the standings. Yet performances have been up and down, despite the fact that Nassr are still in the title race, with good results perceived by some behind the scenes to be because of individual moments of class from talented players rather than any system put in place by the