Ange Postecoglou’s signing of a two-year contract to manage Saudi side Al-Nassr has come as a surprise to many..
Having waited so long for an opportunity to manage in Europe – Postecoglou was remarkably still in Japan as recently as five years ago – many expected the Australian to find another job on the continent, despite the bruising nature of his dual-sackings at Tottenham and Nottingham Forest in 2025.

Instead he returns to Asia with the reigning Saudi champions, whose eleven titles has them as that nation’s third most-successful side historically behind Al-Hilal (21 titles) and Al-Ittihad (14).

‘It was an absolute shock… normally in Saudi Arabia there’s a long run-up of rumours about who is linked, and there was no hint of this coming whatsoever,’ The Asian Game’s Paul Williams told Box2Box.

‘The expectation was it was going to be Roberto Martinez after he finishes up with Portugal after this World Cup; perhaps understandably with Ronaldo and Joao Felix, there’s a great Portuguese connection at the club – so, Ange came completely out of left field.

‘It will be a job that comes with immense pressure. He’ll be coaching some superstar names. There will be players that leave the club, they’ll get some new big names in. I’m fascinated to see how it goes.’

The biggest of those names is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, at the club for three-and-a-half seasons and entering the final year of his contract. Almost more than any in modern times, he is a player used to getting his own way – as evidenced by another underwhelming World Cup with Portugal, for whom he remains a near fixture despite everything about football’s natural life cycle showing he’s past his best.

Postecoglou, equally, will not budge for any individual. Key throughout his career has been his underlying commitment to his own way, regardless of who or what that comes at the expense of; perhaps most famously, then-Socceroos captain Lucas Neill in 2014.

‘I’m fascinated to see how that power relationship exists between them, because Ronaldo does have such power at the club. Reports after his last deal were that he has a partnership in the club as well, about a 15% stake – so he’s a player and is rumoured to be a part-owner, as well.

‘Ange has spoken in the past about wanting quality characters in the change room and without wanting to cast aspersions on Ronaldo’s character, that hasn’t always been his strongest suit.’

Postecoglou has found success almost everywhere he’s gone in the second-coming of his career, but the Asian Champions League is one competition in which he’s failed to leave a mark. He left Brisbane Roar midway through their 2011/12 campaign; he later took Yokohama F. Marinos through the group in 2020, but fell at the Round of 16.

‘Yes, there will be rolled eyes here [in Australia] because it’s Saudi Arabia, and they have that reputation here. But we have to admit, from where they were four years ago, the league has changed, and is now one of the bigger leagues in the world,’ said Williams.

‘Saudi isn’t a coaching dead end anymore: look at Matthias Jaissle, who’s at Al-Ahli and has done remarkable things as a young coach and was linked to the AC Milan job. We’ve seen Simone Inzaghi go there, we’ve seen Brendan Rogers go there.

‘There are expectations at a club like Al-Nassr, and they won the title last year. Ange’s famous quote is ‘I always win things in my second season’; maybe if he doesn’t win things in his first, he might not get a second.’