Fifth coach dismissed in the Saudi Pro League: Najma shakes up its bench
8 February 2026
Coach fired amid poor results
Saudi press reports confirm a fifth coach is leaving Najma, the bottom club in the Saudi Pro League this season.
According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Najma, with five points, fired Portuguese coach Mario Silva due to poor results overall.
Silva, 48, had helped Najma climb from the Yellow Division to the Pro League, but he failed to win this season.
In 20 matches so far, the newcomers have drawn five times and lost fifteen, badly this season.
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reports that Najma's management reached an agreement with Serbian-British coach Nestor El Maestro to take over.
Silva becomes the fifth coach to depart the Saudi Pro League this season and the second Portuguese on the list.
The dismissals also included the Portuguese Paulo Sergio (Al-Akhdoud), Spaniards Javier Kayecha (Al-Riyadh), Miguel Gonzalez 'Mitchell' (Al-Qadsiah), and French Laurent Blanc (Al-Ittihad)—all of whom had not yet signed with other clubs.
Najma’s coaching changes aside, the league keeps spinning like a satellite dish in a windstorm.
Sniper punchline: In this league, the revolving door at the dugout is faster than a counter-attack.
Sniper punchline 2: If results were coffee, Najma would be brewing a double shot of chaos every week.
