Nuno Espirito Santo, Rudi Garcia, Pedro Emanuel, Ramon Diaz and Co. show managerial talent runs deep in Roshn Saudi League
With Roshn Saudi League two-thirds through the season, there have obviously been a number of coaching changes as is normal in football.
For the current 16 from all around the world, there is still plenty to play for.
There are four teams in the running for the title and there are some top-class coaches with plenty of experience when it comes to trying to win trophies.
Al Ittihad have not been champions since 2008/09, but in Nuno Espirito Santo they believe they have a man to deliver silverware. He won promotion to the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers, led the likes of Porto, Tottenham Hotspur and Valencia.
He has tightened their defence to concede an incredible six goals in 20 games and if defences win titles, then the Jeddah giants are in with a great shout.
Rudi Garcia is in charge of Al Nassr and after winning the Ligue 1 title previously with Lille, has a great CV. He has blended the megastar Cristiano Ronaldo into the team smoothly and results have been excellent, apart from last week’s loss to Al Ittihad.
Under Garcia, Al Nassr have what it takes to get a first top-flight title since 2018/19.
Al Shabab in third have Vicente Moreno in charge and the Riyadh team are one of the most-entertaining teams around. Just four points off the top, there is still more than enough time to get back into first and Moreno has shown that his team can bounce back from setbacks.
All know that holders Al Hilal can’t be ruled out. After the team’s heroics in February in reaching the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and the AFC Champions League, they returned home to find themselves off the pace and have also dropped a few points since.
Coach Ramon Diaz showed last season, however, that double-digit deficits are not a problem and last week’s 4-0 win at high-flying Al Taawoun was a sign that Al Hilal are not out of the race.
Despite that, it has been a good season for Al Taawoun who have the experienced Pericles Chamusca at the helm and will see a finish in their current position of fifth as a success. They will be challenged by Al Fateh, led by Greek boss Giorgos Donis, a team that have shown they can defeat the big boys.
That is the top six and it is the job of new Damac coach Cosmin Contra, last seen in charge of Al Ittihad, to try and get the team into that group. After some poor results, he got the job and a win in his first game at Al Tai, a team also led by a Romanian, and former coach of the national team, in Mirel Radoi.
At the bottom, Al Batin’s form has dramatically improved under new Croatian coach Zdravko Logarusic, but still have much to do to get to safety. The rest of the teams in the bottom half are still looking over their shoulders.
Martin Sevela is next to bottom and the Slovakian will be successful if he can keep promoted Al Adalah in the top tier. A run of seven points from the last 12 points to his ability to do that.
Portuguese boss Pedro Emanuel – a UEFA Champions League winner as a player at Porto – is attempting to do the same with third-bottom Al Khaleej.
Al Wehda have Chilean coach Jose Luis Sierra at the helm and recent form suggests they can stay in the league for a second season. Dutchman Roel Coumans at Abha and Vuk Rasovic of Serbia in charge of Al Fayha – who made history with last term’s King’s Cup triumph – also know that they have to keep collecting points to stop falling back into trouble.
The same is true of Ettifaq who have Spanish tactician Antonio Cazorla in charge until the end of the season and the experienced Marius Sumudica, another Romanian, at Al Raed.