Coach Ramon Diaz leaves Al-Hilal ahead of Classico clash with leaders Al-Ittihad

RIYADH: Al-Hilal have said an early goodbye to their coach Ramon Diaz and will do the same to their season if they lose the Classico to Al-Ittihad on Tuesday.

It is a huge encounter but one that the Riyadh giants will prepare for without the Argentine boss who has returned home for family reasons, and with his contract ending next month and little to play for until the end of the season, he is not coming back.

The title he won last season is also set to leave fourth-placed Al-Hilal soon, the only questions now being when and where to.

With Al-Shabab losing 1-0 to Ettifaq on Sunday to stay nine points off the pace, it is now between two teams who are both in action at the same time on this titanic Tuesday.

Al-Ittihad are five points clear of Al-Nassr with just four games remaining. On paper, the trip to Al-Hilal is Al-Ittihad’s toughest game that they have remaining and if both results go their way, then they could be eight points clear when they wake up on Wednesday morning.

That would almost certainly mean that the Roshn Saudi League trophy will be heading to the yellow and black corner of Jeddah for the first time since 2009.

Al-Nassr, who visit an Al-Tai team who strolled into a 3-0 lead at bottom team Al-Batin last week and ended up losing 4-3, need to win and require Al-Hilal to do them a big favor against the leaders, but their bitter Riyadh rivals are not at their best.

The departure of Diaz, whose son Emiliano will take the reins until the season ends, may not go down well with Al-Nassr, who also have a temporary coach in charge in Dinko Jelicic. Should Al-Hilal fail to perform against Al-Ittihad, there may be accusations that the Blues are winding down after slipping out of the title race and losing the