Former Portuguese winger Sérgio Conceição has taken charge of Saudi champions Al-Ittihad.
After five months away from the dugout, Conceição is back in management as he becomes the new head coach of Al-Ittihad, one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs.
The 50-year-old coach has signed a contract that runs until 2028, the Saudi Pro League champions announced on Wednesday through a video on social media. In the video, Conceição said, “I’ve come to make history with Al-Ittihad.”
He replaces French coach Laurent Blanc, who was sacked shortly after a 2-0 defeat to Al-Nassr in late September — a loss that dropped the reigning champions to third place in the league standings.
Before joining Al-Ittihad, Conceição had been in charge of AC Milan, but was dismissed on May 29 following a disappointing Serie A campaign. Milan finished eighth, missing out on European competition for the first time since 2019.
However, Conceição’s start at Milan had been impressive. Just a week after taking over in December, he guided the Rossoneri to victory in the Italian Super Cup, pulling off a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over city rivals Inter Milan after trailing by two goals in the final.
