Simão Coutinho Appointed as New Al Nassr Sporting Director

Al Nassr have announced that Portuguese executive Simão Coutinho is their new sporting director, marking a new stage in their football project in Saudi Arabia.

WHAT HAPPENED?

On Sunday, Al Nassr confirmed Simão Coutinho as the club’s sporting director, replacing Fernando Hierro. Coutinho leaves his role as Chief Commercial Officer at Proeleven, an agency with deep ties in football. His connections with top European players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, played a big part in this move. Coutinho will work with manager Jorge Jesus, new technical director José Semedo, and several star players at Al Nassr.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR AL NASSR

Coutinho’s arrival is important for the Saudi club. Al Nassr finished third in the Saudi Pro League last season, just behind rivals Al Hilal. The club wants to win the league title. With Ronaldo and stars like Aymeric Laporte, Sadio Mané, and Otávio, Al Nassr is building a powerful squad. Al Nassr’s offer for João Félix is over £40 million. Their bosses hope that Coutinho’s European contacts and negotiating skills will bring more star signings and improve their strategy.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR COUTINHO AND AL NASSR

Coutinho’s main job is to make Al Nassr stronger for the new campaign. Al Nassr will return to action in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League, where they hope to close the gap to first place. Last time, champions Al Hilal finished five points clear of them and champions Al Ittihad were 13 points clear. Al Nassr’s first game will be against Al Shabab, who finished fifth in the league last season. This early test will challenge their new sporting leadership.