Ex-Milan boss Pioli ‘happy’ with Al Nassr – despite failing to win 11 of manager’s 30 games

Al-Nassr manager Stefano Pioli says he believes his team played well despite facing criticism after a 0-0 draw against Esteghlal in Tehran in the first leg of their AFC Champions League round of 16 tie.

Former AC Milan boss Pioli has failed to win 11 of his 30 games since succeeding Portuguese coach Luis Castro at the Saudi Pro League club on September 18, including two defeats and one victory in their last five matches in all competitions.

“I am happy with the team’s performance,” Pioli said, via ByanNassr. “We must not forget that there is [the second leg] in Riyadh.”

Al-Nassr’s first ever defeat to Al-Orobah last Friday, which came against Saudi Pro League opponents who finished second in the second tier last season, means they are 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad in fourth with 11 games of their league campaign remaining.

Some fans voiced their dissatisfaction with Pioli on X following the stalemate with Esteghlal at the 78,116-capacity Azadi Stadium, where Jhon Duran – a £65 million January signing from Aston Villa – went closest for the visitors against the ninth-placed team in Iran, hitting a post and repeatedly being foiled by goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.

Who can get past Seyed Hosseini? 🧤#ACLElite | #ESTvNSR pic.twitter.com/TYaBXJR9zl

— #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) March 3, 2025

Pioli: ‘Do you want Al-Nassr to succeed?’

Account Al Nassr Zone, which has more than 61,000 followers, called for Pioli’s exit and suggested he had been employed to make supporters “suffer”, accusing the 59-year-old and his staff of doing a “terrible job” and giving Cristiano Ronaldo’s team “no identity”.

“You need to take action because the situation is getting worse every day,” the account told club chief executive Majed Jaman Alsorour. “Do you want Al-Nassr to succeed? If you do, then things need to change as soon as possible.”

Al-Nassr host sixth-placed Al-Shabab on Friday (7pm GMT) in their domestic top flight. The second leg against Esteghlal will take place on March 10 (6pm GMT).

A night to forget for Al Nassr in attack, but one to remember for Esteghlal’s defence! #ACLElite | #ESTvNSR pic.twitter.com/rf7RnFbsaR

— #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) March 3, 2025

Why did Ronaldo not play for Al Nassr in Iran?

Pioli said there were “physical reasons” for captain and Saudi Pro League top scorer Ronaldo missing the round trip of around 2,200 miles, Al Jazirah reported.

The outlet said Pioli had not wished to risk a more serious injury for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who shared a message of support for his team on his Instagram account – the most-followed on the platform – hours before kick-off, telling them: “Let’s go”.

Before the game, the DPA news agency, via MailOnline, reported that Al-Nassr had written to organisers asking for the game to be played “on neutral ground” because of “Ronaldo’s bad experience in Tehran”.

Police reportedly had to disperse crowds who mobbed Al-Nassr’s hotel when they visited Tehran club Persepolis in September 2023.

Ronaldo was not involved when Al-Nassr drew 0-0 at Azadi Stadium against Persepolis, who also use the ground, on February 17, although his side had already qualified for the last 16 by that point.

Talisca: Al Nassr’s ‘real mistake’

Writing on X on Friday, former Al-Nassr forward Talisca claimed he “knows where the real mistake is” at the club.

“[Duran] is a great player and will do a lot for this club,” said Talisca, who left for Fenerbahce on January 29, responding to a list of the former Aston Villa striker’s stats against Al-Orobah published by ByanNassr.

“The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don’t see where the real mistake lies.

“Stop acting like this all the time. You know where the mistake is, you’re just afraid to say it. On top of that, you want to do to Duran what they did to me, to benefit others.”

He is a great player and will do a lot for this club. The problem is that you always want to find someone to blame for the defeats, but you don’t see where the real mistake lies. Stop acting like this all the time

You know where the mistake is, you’re just afraid to say it, lol

— Andersontalisca (@talisca_aa) February 28, 2025

And on top of that, you want to do to Doran what they did to me, to benefit others.”

— Andersontalisca (@talisca_aa) February 28, 2025

Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr

Pioli made four changes against Esteghlal, bringing in Sadio Mane for Ronaldo, full-back Nawaf Boushal for Majed Qashish and wingers Awad Ali Al-Hassan and Ayman Yahya for Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem and Wesley Teixeira.

The hosts fielded a five-man defence and had 29% of first-half possession, but Iran national team newcomer Mohammad Reza Azadi tested Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento with an angled drive.

During an end-to-end encounter, Ramin Rezaeian brilliantly headed Ayman Yahya’s header off the line after Iran international Hosseini had kept out Duran’s shot with his legs.

Esteghlal threatened after the break when Armin Sohrabian headed over in space, marking a bright restart after Kyrgyzstan forward Joel Kojo came on for Azadi at half-time.

Sohrabian turned provider to produce a golden opportunity shortly afterwards, finding Rezaeian in front of goal with a searching cross from the left that his fellow wing-back could only nod the wrong side of a post.

Ronaldo to face Esteghlal in second leg?

Al-Nassr beat Esteghlal 1-0 through former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte’s goal in Dubai during the group stage on October 22.

Newly managed by former Crvena zvezda boss Miodrag Bozovic, Esteghlal won the AFC Champions League in 1970 and 1991.

The oldest professional team in Tehran have won the Persian Gulf Pro League nine times but are currently ninth out of 16 clubs in the division after winning only six of their first 21 league games of the season.

Ronaldo has six goals in this season’s AFC Champions League as the 40-year-old looks to add to his solitary trophy since joining Al-Nassr at the start of 2023, winning the Arab Club Champions Cup that year.

Four of those goals have come in his last three appearances in the competition, scoring twice each away to Qatari opponents Al-Gharafa on November 25 and at home to Emirati team Al-Wasl on February 3.