Ex-France coach Blanc named Al-Ittihad manager
Laurent Blanc won 97 caps with France between 1989 and 2000
- Published
Former France coach Laurent Blanc has been named the new manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
Blanc has been out of work since September 2023, having left Lyon by "mutual agreement" with the club bottom of Ligue 1.
The 58-year-old replaces Marcelo Gallardo, who departed at the end of 2023-24 after failing to qualify for the Asian Champions League.
Blanc will link up with compatriots Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.
The Frenchman has previously enjoyed roles in charge of Bordeaux, France, Paris St-Germain, Qatari club Al-Rayyan and Lyon.
Blanc led Bordeaux to the Ligue 1 title in 2008-09, ending the side's 10-year wait for league honours, while he won three championships during his three-year spell at PSG and led France to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
As a player, Blanc spent time in France, Italy, Spain and England with teams such as Montpellier, Barcelona, Manchester United - where he won the Premier League in 2003 - and Inter Milan.
Al-Ittihad are nine-time Saudi Pro League champions and most recently won the league in 2022-23, but they finished fifth last season.