Al-Ittihad has officially parted ways with manager Laurent Blanc, the Saudi Pro League club announced on Saturday, following a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Al-Nassr, Softfootball reported.
The club released a statement on their official X handle confirming the termination of Blanc’s contract along with that of his coaching staff. They posted:
📝 | Termination of contract with first football team’s head coach pic.twitter.com/fkWmZdnNeB
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) September 27, 2025Blanc, who took charge of the team in July 2023, initially enjoyed a successful tenure, leading Al-Ittihad to a domestic double by clinching both the league title and the King’s Cup. However, the new season has not started as expected.
Goals from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo spurred Al-Nassr to a 2-0 victory over Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, lifting the Riyadh club three points clear of the champions on top of the standings.
Al-Ittihad’s campaign hit a setback when they exited the Saudi Super Cup in the semifinals after losing to Al-Nassr, followed by another defeat to the same rivals in the league.
The club currently sits third in the standings, three points adrift of Al-Nassr. This recent development has forced the management to make a substantial change in leadership as they seek to realign with their competitive goals.
The responsibility now lies with the new coaching staff, who must swiftly adjust to the club’s aspirations and rejuvenate the squad to pose a serious challenge for the title in the forthcoming matches.
The emphasis will be on enhancing player performances and rebuilding confidence within a team that possesses the capability to compete at the highest level in the league.
