National football team Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has been listed among the two coaches likely to be hired to replace Rudi Garcia at Saudi Arabia league side Al Nassr.
According to Iha News and other several Arabian newspapers, Firat — who is preparing Harambee Stars for next year’s World Cup qualifiers — and Croatian Zlatko Dalic are the front runners to land the job.
If Firat lands the job, he will coach one of the greatest players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined the team last year.
The news outlet also claims that there is a possibility that the new coach of the Saudi Arabian national team which featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, might be chosen from those two names, and that if they are to be the new leaders, a hefty amount of transfer fees will be paid to terminate their contracts with their current teams.
Speaking to People Sport yesterday in Nairobi, Firat confirmed having been contacted with Al Nassr over the job, but said that he still had unfinished business with Harambee Stars which he wants to help qualify for the 2030 World Cup.
“It is true that Al Nassr has contacted my agent about the coaching job, but I will not leave Harambee Stars before I finished the Kenyan project. I promised Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa and Kenyans at large that I want to prepare a formidable team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers from early next year and eventually help the country qualify for its first ever World Cup,” Firat said.
Al Nassr is currently second in the 16-team table on 53 points from 23 matches played, trailing the leaders Al Ittihad FC by three points.
On Friday, Ronaldo a five-time Ballon D’or winner, sent a heartfelt message to Rudi Garcia following the dismissal of the French manager at Al-Nassr the previous day.
Garcia parted ways with the Saudi club only eight months into his role as head coach, on the back of the club’s slump in form which was worsened by their costly draw with Al-Feiha.
Aside from the club’s downward spiral in form, Spanish publication, Marca reported that a fight with his players in the dressing room also contributed to the 59-year-old’s dismissal from the job.
Despite the reported friction between Ronaldo and Rudi Garcia, the former took time out of his schedule to send a thoughtful message to his former boss.
“Pleasure to have worked with you. Wishing you all the best for the future,” Ronaldo posted on his Instagram story.
The former Marseille and Lyon coach Garcia was appointed at AL Nassr in July last year and enjoyed a successful spell that saw him average 2.27 points per match.
