Marcelo Gallardo: Al-Ittihad appoint former Argentina international as new boss
- Published
Marcelo Gallardo managed a Riyadh All-Stars team in a game against Paris St-Germain in January
Former Argentina international Marcelo Gallardo has been appointed the new head coach of Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad.
The 47-year-old former midfielder replaces ex-Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers Nuno Espirito Santo.
He has signed a contract until 2025.
Gallardo was most recently in charge of Argentina side River Plate, guiding them to their league title in 2020-21, and previously managed Uruguayans Nacional.
Al-Ittihad are captained by France striker Karim Benzema, while former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho and ex-Chelsea and Leicester player N'Golo Kante also play for the club.
They are currently fifth in the Saudi Pro League.
Nuno was sacked after a poor run of results and former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui had also been approached for the role, but the Spaniard opted to wait for an opportunity in the Premier League.
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