Ronaldo and Jesus spoke before the Portuguese coach accepted Al Nassr's offer. According to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Saudi Arabian club consulted the 40-year-old captain before negotiating with the 70-year-old coach.

Jesus is expected to sign a one-year contract, with an option to extend for a further year.

Coach Jorge Jesus during the Al Hilal vs Al Shabab match in the Saudi Pro League at Kingdom Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 21/4/2025. Photo: *Reuters*

Jesus, a right midfielder during his playing days, came through Sporting Lisbon's academy, just like Ronaldo. While he didn't win any titles as a player, he has led teams to 24 titles, from Braga, Benfica, and Sporting to Al Hilal, Flamengo, and Fenerbahce. Jesus notably guided Al Hilal to a Guinness World Record of 34 consecutive unbeaten matches across all competitions. He became available after parting ways with the club last month.

According to Portuguese newspaper *A Bola*, Al Nassr has also decided to terminate Sporting Director Fernando Hierro's contract. They will appoint Simao Coutinho, another Portuguese national, as his replacement, in line with Ronaldo's wishes.

The 37-year-old Coutinho also emerged from Sporting's academy. However, at 25, he retired from playing and transitioned into a player agent role. He represents Man Utd defender, Diogo Dalot, and has a good relationship with Ronaldo. Coutinho will assume his new role as Sporting Director of Al Nassr next week.

Since Ronaldo's social media post on 27/5 declaring "this chapter is closed", Al Nassr has dismissed CEO Majed Al-Jamaan, coach Pioli, and Sporting Director Hierro. This effectively means the entire management and coaching staff have been replaced. Earlier, Arab media reported that the management wanted to cut Ronaldo's salary by more than half.

Ronaldo extended his contract with Al Nassr for two years on 26/6, with a compensation package of nearly 700 million USD. Chairman Abdullah Al-Majed personally appeared in the contract signing photo with the Al Nassr captain. Two days later, the Portuguese superstar stated in an interview with the club that he "belongs in Saudi Arabia".

Compiled by Hoang An