Al-Ittihad Sack Blanc, Reportedly Hire Hassan Khalifa

Al-Ittihad have sacked manager Laurent Blanc after a 2-0 home defeat to Al-Nassr, ending his tenure just over a year after he led the club to the Saudi Pro League title and King’s Cup. The loss — goals from Sadio Mané and Cristiano Ronaldo — capped a poor start to the campaign that included a Super Cup semi-final exit to Al-Nassr and an AFC Champions League defeat to Al Wahda. Ittihad sit third in the league after four games while Al-Nassr have a perfect start and top the table. The club said it is seeking new technical staff and, according to reports, has appointed Hassan Khalifa as Blanc’s replacement. Blanc blamed defensive injuries and fixture congestion for the run of results and said he was surprised by questions over his future given recent home form.