Unconfirmed reports suggest the reason behind the decision was the strained relationship between the Frenchman and star player Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the past few days, reports indicated that Garcia’s departure from the club was imminent after serving as a coach for eight months.
It was rumored that Garcia had a heated altercation with his players in the dressing room following a goalless draw against Al-Feiha on Sunday and that Ronaldo, who earns £175m per year, was unhappy with the coach’s tactics.
Al Nassr has also announced that Dinko Jelicic, their Under 19 coach, will take over as the team’s new head coach.
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In a statement released on Thursday, Al Nassr thanked Garcia and his staff for their “dedicated work.”
The statement read, “Al-Nassr can announce that Head Coach Rudi Garcia has left the Club by mutual agreement. The board and everyone at Al-Nassr would like to thank Rudi and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 8 months.’
AlNassr can announce that Head Coach Rudi Garcia has left the Club by mutual agreement.
The board and everyone at AlNassr would like to thank Rudi and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 8 months. pic.twitter.com/6wx6p68f6N
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) April 13, 2023
This decision comes after ESPN reported Wednesday that Garcia had only one game left to save his job due to the team’s standing in the Saudi Pro League.
Garcia’s exit comes in the wake of Ronaldo’s furious rant that saw him storm off the pitch on Sunday and bark at opposition players that they ‘don’t want to play.’
The former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus star then marched straight down the tunnel at full-time.
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Criticising Al-Nassr players after that performance, Garcia said: “I don’t feel satisfied with [their] performance. I asked them to play at the same level as the last game [a 5-0 win over Al-Adalah], but this didn’t happen.”
Spanish outlet Marca claimed that Ronaldo felt as though Garcia could get more out of his teammates.
Despite the team’s recent successes, with seven wins from their past eight league games, Garcia’s failure to claim the top spot in the division left him fighting for his future at Al Nassr.
Garcia had managed to stay in his post at Al Nassr longer than most coaches in the Saudi Pro League, where the average head coach tenure is just over four months.
Al Nassr are three points behind league leaders Al Ittihad and face traditional rivals and reigning Asian champions Al Hilal in their next game, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
The team lost the Saudi Super Cup final to Al Ittihad in January and has struggled to beat any of its closest rivals in the league this season, including Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, and Al Shabab.
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