Al Nassr president pushes to keep Jorge Jesus after manager announces exit following title win

Who: Jorge Jesus and Al Nassr. What: After leading Al Nassr to the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title, Jesus announced he was stepping down, but club president Abdullah Al-Majed says the board is mounting a push to keep the 71-year-old manager. When: The announcement came immediately after Al Nassr's title-clinching victory; the president's comments and reported internal efforts were published in the days following the match. Why it matters: Jesus engineered a dominant campaign and his potential departure would reshape Al Nassr's managerial plans ahead of the 2026-27 season and affect Cristiano Ronaldo's final years at the club.

Why it matters

Jesus guided Al Nassr through one of the club's most successful periods, producing historic winning runs and a high points-per-game return. Losing a manager who delivered the Saudi Pro League title with a standout record would force the club to restart preparations for 2026-27, influence transfer planning and squad continuity, and could affect relations with senior players — notably Cristiano Ronaldo, who is reported to want Jesus to stay.

What Jesus said and the president's response

According to the source, Jesus used his post-match press conference after the title-clinching win over Damac FC to announce he was stepping down, saying he had fulfilled the promise that led him to take the job. The report adds that Jesus's contract runs until June 2026 and that he told reporters he planned to travel to Rio de Janeiro for a vacation, without revealing a next destination.

Al Nassr president Abdullah Al-Majed — cited via Saudi outlet Al-Wyam — said the club is actively trying to convince Jesus to remain, stating: "At the current moment, there are ongoing attempts to convince Jesus to stay, and we will convince him, God willing."

How Jesus built the title-winning campaign

The source credits Jesus with delivering one of Al Nassr's most dominant campaigns. Highlights cited include an 11-match start that set a Saudi Pro League record and an overall 20-match winning run across competitions (16 in the league and four in the AFC Champions League Two). Over 49 games in charge, the report records a 40-2-7 record and an average of 2.49 points per game.

Jesus's tenure also included high-profile arrivals such as Iñigo Martinez, João Félix and Kingsley Coman and reached finals in Saudi Super Cup and the Champions League Two, according to the source.

Ronaldo's reported role and demands attributed to Jesus

The article reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing the Al Nassr board to secure Jesus for at least one more season, citing 365 Scores Arabic. That outlet reportedly says Ronaldo wants Jesus tied down to a one-year extension so the manager can coach him through what could be the final season of his career.

The same reporting suggests Jesus holds negotiating leverage and may seek a substantial salary increase and guarantees of six major summer signings to bolster squad depth — details presented in the original piece as reported demands rather than confirmed club proposals.

Key points

What happens next

According to the source, Al-Majed said work on the next season will begin after the Eid al-Adha holiday in June, focusing on squad preparation and incoming transfers. At present, the situation appears fluid: Jesus has announced his intention to leave, the club says it will try to change his mind, and media reports link Ronaldo and potential contract demands to the negotiations. There is no official confirmation in the supplied source that a new contract has been offered or accepted.