Rudi Garcia is set for a new job in Saudi Arabia after the former Lyon manager was overlooked by Premier League giants Everton and Newcastle United, as reported by FootMercato.
There are not many coaches who divide opinion quite like the 58-year-old Frenchman.
This is a tactician who guided Lille to a league and cup double back in 2011, after all. One who guided Roma to second in Serie A with 85 points in 2014 and knocked Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City out of the Champions League while winning the French Manager of the Year award on three separate occasions.
According to Foot Mercato, Man United even interviewed Garcia before settling on Ralf Rangnick and then Erik Ten Hag.
But, on the other hand, Garcia’s reputation as a footballing ‘nearly man’ is a difficult one to shake. He hasn’t picked up a single piece of silverware in the last 11 years, losing the Europa League final with Marseille and the Coupe de la Ligue with Lyon. Roma, across his three seasons, finished second, second and third.
And, despite relative success on the pitch, Garcia didn’t exactly prove overly popular off it at either Marseille or Lyon.
Everton and Newcastle considered Saudi Arabia-bound Rudi Garcia
“He manages to win over the entire squad over a certain period (of time). But it’s true that, each time, it is difficult for him to finish a story at his clubs,” former Lille ace Yohan Cabaye points out, highlighting Garcia’s tendency to leave in a flurry of fury.
“I don’t know why it often ends like this. But it is true that, at Lille, it did not end very well. Nor at Roma. His career shows it doesn’t often end well at clubs.”
So is that what fans of Al-Nassr can expect? A team that roars out of the blocks before tripping over their own feet at the final hurdle? Newcastle United looked at Garcia before the inspired appointment of Eddie Howe back in November, as reported by the Daily Mail, while Everton also considered him before handing the reigns over to Frank Lampard (Sky Sports).
With further offers from Europe’s top five leagues drying up, FootMercato reports that Garcia has now agreed a two-year deal at Al-Nassr as he prepares to embark upon a new challenge on a completely new continent.
Garcia will reportedly earn £10 million between now and the expiration of his deal in 2024. One suspects that might have played a key role in Garcia’s decision to accept Al-Nassr’s offer…
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