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Laurent Blanc was sacked by Al Ittihad after losing 2-0 to Al Nassr.
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Hassan Khalifa replaces him as caretaker.
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The club reacted swiftly to falling behind early in the league.
Al Ittihad sacked Laurent Blanc on Sunday after they lost 2-0 to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
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The club announced the decision on social media and put assistant coach Hassan Khalifa in charge as caretaker while they search for a permanent replacement.
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Blanc, 59, joined Al Ittihad in 2024 after a low-key spell at Lyon.
The board said results left them no choice after four league games.
The defeat left Al Ittihad three points behind Al Nassr, and the club moved quickly to change direction.
A commanding centre-back in his playing days, Blanc starred for Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
He also made France’s 1998 World Cup squad but missed the final after his red card in the semi-final against Croatia.
After retiring, Blanc took the France job in 2010 and later won three Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain between 2014 and 2016.
Yet his failure to push deep in the Champions League cost him the PSG job, and he left in 2016.
At Al Ittihad, pressure rose fast. Big-money rivals demand instant success, and the club’s decision shows how results drive choices in the Saudi Pro League.
Hassan Khalifa now faces a tough task: settle a star-studded dressing room and win points quickly.
If form does not improve, expect the club to target a headline coach soon.
This sack of Laurent Blanc reminds fans that past glories offer no guarantee in modern football.
