LONDON – Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad has appointed former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo as coach until 2024, the top-flight club said.
The 48-year-old Portuguese has been out of work since Spurs sacked him last November after 17 matches in charge following a 3-0 home loss to Manchester United which left the north London side eighth in the table.
Nuno previously enjoyed success during his four seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers who won promotion to the English Premier League in 2018 after a six-year absence and retained their top-flight status.
“It’s an honour for me to join the greatest club in Saudi Arabia, Al Ittihad. See you soon,” Nuno said in a video shared by the club on their social media according to Reuters.
Nuno has also managed Valencia and Porto.
Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad finished second in the Saudi Pro League after a 0-0 home draw with Al-Batin on the final day of the campaign allowed rivals Al-Hilal to secure the title for a third successive season with a 2-1 win over Al-Faisaly.
Former Valencia and Porto boss Nuno made a major impact in England with Wolves, leading the club into the Premier League and securing back-to-back seventh-place finishes as well as European qualification during his four-year spell at Molineux.
He was appointed as Jose Mourinho’s successor at Spurs in June last year, but lasted just 17 games before he was replaced by Antonio Conte in November.
That proved to be the Sao Tome-born Portuguese boss’s last post in club management, as his two-year contract was cut short after only four months in north London.
He began his professional career at Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, as a goalkeeper, and his playing career took him to Spain and Russia, and managed Valencia and Porto before his appointment at the Molineux.
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