Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad are on the hunt for a new manager after parting ways with Laurent Blanc.
The club still have a star-studded cast with the likes of Fabinho, N'Golo Kante, and Karim Benzema all on their books but they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr side on Friday in an early potential title decider.
They announced that they had ended their relationship with the former Manchester United and Barcelona defender in a post on their X account in the wake of the defeat, stating: "Al Ittihad announces the termination of its contractual relationship with the first team’s head coach, Mr Laurent Blanc and his coaching staff."
The club have since been linked with a surprise move for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
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The German coach guided the Reds to a UEFA Champions League crown as well as the club's first Premier League title in 30 years during his time at Anfield.
A report from Saudi Arabia suggests Klopp is one of Al Ittihad’s top targets to replace Blanc.
However, if Klopp’s previous comments about the growth of the Saudi league are anything to go by, they could be soundly rejected.
He previously stated that UEFA needs to ensure that the European leagues remain the strongest in the world amid the threat from the millions of pounds on offer to players in Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t know how sustainable it is, how long it will stay like that, I don’t know all these things,” he said in September 2023.
“But I think the next two weeks will show how much of a challenge it is because whatever happens there, obviously, no one can react anymore.
“That is something UEFA or whoever should have an eye on to sort that, because we all have to protect the game.
“It is not a league, it is the game, and obviously, I love all my players who play now in Saudi Arabia.
“Usually I would watch them, but I haven’t seen anything yet.
“Maybe you can, I’m not sure exactly where, but it is not like it distracts me from my watching habits.
“We have to make sure that these European leagues stay as strong as they are.
“We are all a bit surprised still by the activity from Saudi Arabia, but it happened a lot and a lot of players went there.
“I don’t know where it will lead to, but it feels more like a threat or a concern than not, to be honest.
“I do not see how we can deny it in these moments. What can we do?
“Say no? We can do that, but the differences between the contracts here and the contracts there are so big that that causes problems, definitely, 100%.”
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Saudi Pro League, Liverpool
Jonathan Bray