Rui Vitória’s Saudi chapter: grateful for the adventure and keeping Salah’s fate under wraps

Portuguese coach Rui Vitória, the former manager of Al Nassr, spoke of his happiness at coaching in Saudi Arabia, saying the move opened doors and marked a turning point in his coaching career.

Vitória took charge of the team nicknamed “the World” in 2019, after four years with Benfica in Portugal’s top flight, before leaving the Saudi club at the end of 2020.

From Portugal to Saudi

The transition was a surprising shift. His career had been rooted in Portugal, and he naturally preferred to stay, so he never imagined leaving it.

He added: I suddenly found myself in a country I never expected to be my next destination. I thank God I went to Saudi—not just for the money, but because it opened the world to me.

He explained: We think we know the world here, but we do not; experiences in different contexts and cultures develop my personality and professionalism.

He added: We Portuguese coaches are very smart, and we push each other to evolve, even tactically.

He said: We are always in the midst of this “war,” and when we travel abroad, we gain even more knowledge.

Journey with Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr was Vitória’s first club outside Portugal, after 17 years of coaching several teams, including Pacos de Ferreira and Vitória de Guimarães.

But the standout stop before Al-Nassr was Benfica, where he spent four consecutive years from 2015 to 2019, winning six titles: two Portuguese league titles, the Super Cup, and one each of the Portuguese Cup and the League Cup, before leaving in January 2019.

A week after Benfica dismissed him, Al-Nassr appointed Rui Vitória as head coach, taking charge while the team sat second in the Saudi league.

Vitória began his tenure with three big wins: 5-0 over Al-Ansar in the King’s Cup round of 32, 6-0 over Al-Fayha in the round of 16, and 4-0 over Ohod in the 17th round of the Saudi League.

While Al-Nassr bowed out of the AFC Champions League in the quarter-finals to Persepolis and lost the King’s Cup semi to Al-Hilal, the main achievement remained the Saudi Professional League title.

Although Vitória inherited a three-point deficit behind leaders Al-Hilal, he sealed the crown by a single point after a marathon title race decided on the final day, returning the “World” to league glory after four years.

The second season proved tougher, as the team lost the league to rivals Al-Hilal by eight points and the King’s Cup final to the same rival.

The sting came as they exited the AFC Champions League in the semi-finals after a penalty shootout defeat to Persepolis.

These results put pressure on the Portuguese coach at the start of his third season, leading to his dismissal in December 2020 after a run of stumbles in the Saudi league.

Post-Nassr

Vitória’s belief that the Al-Nassr experience opened the world for him led to a stint with Spartak Moscow in May 2021, though he departed by December of the same year.

He then led Egypt’s national team from July 2022, guiding them to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals, but an exit in the round of 16 prompted his departure early 2024.

In October last year, Vitória returned to Europe with Panathinaikos in Greece, until he left the post in September this year.

Salah’s Professionalism

In the same remarks, he discussed his experience with Egypt and their star Mohamed Salah of Liverpool.

Vitória said: Salah was a different personality from most people, understanding what football requires; he often used to say: “Everyone wants to be like me, but no one wants to do what I did.”

I know the hardships he endured to cement his place after leaving Egypt and living far from home, then succeeding; it’s a great achievement.

He added: He is an exceptional person, but great players excel in everything, and I was surprised not only by his football skills but also by his humanity—it's not just about being nice, but about knowing what’s required at any moment for the good of his teammates.

He continued: Our relationship was wonderful; he made decisive leadership decisions with me, though I cannot reveal them, so he was a remarkable person… he was the one giving feedback, and everyone followed him; we improved greatly thanks to that.

Punchline 1: If coaching had frequent flyer miles, my travel would outpace any striker’s sprint. Punchline 2: In football, strategy is key, but sometimes the only thing sharper than a tactic is the manager’s sense of humor—tip of the hat, and a coffee to go with it.