Blanc’s Fallout, Gomes in the Crosshairs: Al-Nassr’s Blowout Reshapes Saudi League Drama
19 October 2025
Al-Nassr continued its standout run in the Saudi Pro League, sealing a fifth straight victory and remaining at the top with a perfect record.
The latest victim was Al-Fateh, as the side coached by Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus routed them 5-1 at Al-Awwal Park in Week 5 of the league season.
Gomes Under Pressure
Gomes, the Portuguese coach of Al-Fateh, finds himself under intense scrutiny after this heavy defeat. The Saudi press, notably Al-Yaom, reported the club’s board would hold an emergency meeting to decide his fate, with opinions split on whether to part ways or show faith in him based on last season’s positives.
The meeting could also discuss renewing Gomes’s contract, especially given the favorable results he helped achieve with Al-Fateh last season and his role in keeping the club in the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Fateh’s Tough Stand
Al-Fateh sit 16th in the standings with a single point from five games, having scored four and conceded twelve. The campaign opened with a 1-2 loss to Al-Fayha, followed by a 2-4 defeat to Al-Ittihad. Their only point so far came from a goalless draw with Al-Hazm, before a 0-1 loss to Al-Qadisiya in Round 4 and a heavy 1-5 defeat to Al-Nassr in Round 5.
Their only win this season came in the King’s Cup Round of 32, a 2-1 triumph over Jazrawi (the opponent quoted as a lower division side in the narrative). The gap between performances in the league and domestic cup remains the source of growing concern for Gomes and his staff.
A Missed Opportunity or New Sack?
Should Gomes be dismissed, it would be a difficult moment, following a reported failed attempt to take over another club (an Egyptian side) where negotiations reportedly stalled over a three-month severance clause and late payments. The sequence underscores the fragility of coaching appointments in the Saudi ecosystem, a pattern reinforced by past upheavals in the league.
Indeed, the Saudi scene has seen high-profile firings: Laurent Blanc, the former coach of Al-Ittihad, was dismissed after a Clasico loss to Al-Nassr. The club then appointed Sergio Conceicao’s staff to guide the team, highlighting the volatility at the top of the Saudi pyramid. After a rocky preseason, Al-Ittihad began to show better form, including a run of three straight wins, before facing another test against the same opponents that once toppled Blanc’s tenure.
As for Gomes, the dominoes will likely depend on the result of the emergency meeting and the board’s appetite for change. The Saudi Pro League continues to be a theatre where a single result can redefine careers overnight.
Punchline time: If Gomes survives this, he deserves a medal for ducking the axe—or perhaps a license to dodge flying tactics more than stray bullets in a sniper’s range. Second line: In football, the only thing predictable is the timing of a boardroom firing—it’s like clockwork, except the clock runs on four o’clock espresso and a goal whistle in the same breath.
