Al Ittihad Appoint Marcelo Gallardo As New Manager
Saudi Arabia champions Al Ittihad have appointed former River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo as the club's new boss on an 18-month contract.
Ittihad sacked former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this month following a run of two wins in nine games.
The club's results were not encouraging despite the signings of big names like Karim Benzema, Jota, Fabinho and N'golo Kante.
Al Ittihad are currently fifth on the Saudi Pro League standings and play Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq in their next game.
“The Board of Directors of Al-Ittihad announces the signing of a new coaching staff, led by the Argentinian Marcelo Gallardo, to coach the football first team with a contract extending for a year and a half,” the club said.
Former Argentina midfielder Gallardo returns to management for the first time since 2022 following a successful eight-year spell in charge of River Plate.
The 47-year-old led River to 14 major trophies, including two Copa Libertadores titles and the Argentina League title once.
