Xavi on Al Ahli radar as Saudi club weigh Portuguese options to replace Jaissle

Spanish coach Xavi Hernandez has emerged as a leading candidate to take over at Al Ahli Saudi FC, with the former Barcelona manager competing with three Portuguese coaches for the job as the Jeddah club prepare for life after Matthias Jaissle.

Jaissle is reported to have submitted his resignation on Thursday, with the German expected to take charge of Newcastle United next season, succeeding his former coach Eddie Howe.

According to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Al Ahli’s Portuguese sporting director Rui Pedro has drawn up a shortlist of three main targets as he looks to secure a new head coach for the coming campaign.

Xavi tops main shortlist

Xavi is said to be at the top of that primary list, despite being out of work since leaving Barcelona at the end of the 2023-24 season. The 44-year-old has not taken another role in management since his departure from the Camp Nou.

The shortlist also includes fellow Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, who previously managed Al Ahli during the 2013-14 season. Pereira’s most recent job was with Nottingham Forest, where he worked in the second half of last season.

Another Portuguese, Nuno Santo, currently head coach of West Ham United, is also under consideration. Nuno has prior experience in Saudi Arabia, having led Al Ahli’s fierce rivals Al Ittihad between 2022 and 2023, a spell in which he won both the league title and the Saudi Super Cup.

Arriyadiyah reports that these three names form the core of Rui Pedro’s preferred options as he prioritises a swift appointment ahead of next season.

Backup options and Slot stance

Alongside that main shortlist, Al Ahli are also understood to have drawn up a secondary list of alternatives. This contingency group features Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, who was in charge of Al Ittihad last season, and Dutch manager Arne Slot, described in the report as the former Liverpool coach.

However, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Slot is not currently contemplating a move to Saudi Arabia. In a post on his personal account on X, Romano said that Slot “is not thinking of taking over at Al Ahli at this stage”, adding that the Dutchman is waiting for the right opportunity to return to one of Europe’s major leagues.

Jaissle’s record at Al Ahli

Jaissle took charge of Al Ahli in 2023 and has delivered significant silverware during his tenure. Under the German, the club have won the Elite AFC Champions League in consecutive seasons and ended a long domestic drought by lifting the Saudi Super Cup for the first time in nine years.

His departure would leave a sizeable vacancy at the club, prompting Al Ahli’s hierarchy to move quickly to identify a successor capable of sustaining their recent success both in Asia and at home.

Al Ahli have yet to make any official announcement regarding Jaissle’s exit or the appointment of a new coach, while those on the reported shortlist, including Xavi, Pereira, Nuno and Conceicao, have not publicly commented on the links.