Romanian coach Răzvan Lucescu, 56 years old and currently coaching PAOK Thessaloniki, the reigning champion of Greece, is said to have accepted a return to lead the technical staff of Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, according to information published by the local press.
The Saudi newspaper Okaz claims that Lucescu offered a preliminary agreement about a month ago, and an official announcement is expected soon. This decision comes in light of the poor recent results of the current coach of the team, 70-year-old Jorge Jesus, former coach and champion with Benfica.
Before contacting Lucescu, Al-Hilal club officials tried to attract Simone Inzaghi, the coach of Inter Milan. However, Inzaghi was not as determined as Lucescu, who previously coached the Saudi team between 2019 and 2021. During that period, he won three major trophies: the Asian Champions League, the championship, and the Saudi Arabian Cup.
PAOK is currently in 4th place in the Greek league, 11 points behind the leader Olympiakos.
Lucescu's return to Al-Hilal would mark a new stage in his career, after achieving notable successes both in Greece and Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal would need to pay a €4 million clause for Răzvan Lucescu. His contract with PAOK expires in the summer of 2027.
D.A.