Pep Guardiola to coach Cristiano Ronaldo? Al-Nassr dream partnership rumors grow after fresh managerial update

Jorge Jesus did not leave Al-Nassr quietly. Days after guiding the club to the Saudi Pro League title, the Portuguese coach confirmed his exit and addressed the growing noise around Pep Guardiola potentially becoming his successor.

The timing has only intensified speculation in Saudi Arabia, especially after Guardiola’s confirmed decision to leave Manchester City at the end of the season. Jesus, though, made it clear he views his work at Al-Nassr as one of the toughest achievements of his career, and he believes any manager arriving after him inherits a winning structure already built under pressure and expectation.

Is Pep Guardiola really going to Al-Nassr?

Pep Guardiola has officially announced he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, and Al-Nassr moved quickly once that news broke.

Reports of a world-record salary offer north of 130 million euros per season circulated widely, prompting his long-term agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, to respond.Speaking to Saudi outlet Okaz, Orobitg confirmed there had been contact but played down the figures. "There was contact a month and a half ago, just contact, without any commitment or written offer. It's not that much money," he said. He also confirmed the Saudi Arabian Football Federation reached out separately, though he suggested neither pursuit is currently close to a deal.

“There was also contact with the Saudi Arabian Federation about 15 days ago, but there will be no further contact for the time being. At the moment, none of them have much of a chance of signing Guardiola.”As for Jesus, he was asked whether he would feel proud to be replaced by one of football's most decorated managers. His answer was blunt."Pride [for being replaced by Guardiola]? No... why? He's the one who should be proud to replace me, not me for him," he said.Even so, the possibility of Pep Guardiola coaching Cristiano Ronaldo remains difficult to ignore. For Al-Nassr, replacing a title-winning coach with one of football’s defining managers would signal another aggressive step in Saudi football’s long-term ambition to shift global attention toward the league.

Why did Jorge Jesus leave Al-Nassr despite winning the League?

Jorge Jesus was direct about his reasons for not extending his stay. He described the Saudi Pro League as physically and mentally exhausting, and said a one-year commitment was always the plan."When I accepted this challenge, when Cristiano Ronaldo and [Jose] Semedo invited me, I knew it would be the most difficult challenge of my coaching career. To win this championship, we had to be much better than our opponents. As I told Cris: 'I'll help you become champion and then I'll go on with my life,'" he said.He had initially been offered a two-year contract but refused. Coaching in Saudi Arabia, he explained, demands too much of the body and mind to stretch beyond a single season.

He leaves having done exactly what he came to do.Ronaldo's influence on his decision to join was significant. Jesus said he only agreed to take the project because of the Portuguese captain personally."When I spoke with Cristiano Ronaldo, initially they invited me to sign a two-year contract, but I only wanted to do one year. That's what I always do at the clubs I'm at. It was a very tough championship, you have to make decisions, often putting your body on the line, and it's very tiring. It was a wonderful year, I have to enjoy it somewhere else," Jesus said."He has a very great passion for football. I told him: 'I only accept this project because of you, otherwise I wouldn't come. We're going to win both and you're going to leave here with a title.' That's what happened."