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Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro has reportedly rejected the offer to join Al Nassr as their sporting director even after receiving a special request from Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al Nassr have been looking for a sporting director since December 2023, following the resignation of former Croatian midfielder Goran Vucevic. Previously, the Riyadh-based club was reportedly in talks with Hierro for some time and was progressing to sign a deal with him, as per an X post by @X99i3.
Fernando Hierro joined Real Madrid in 1989 and continued until 2003. During his tenure at Los Blancos, the former defender won five La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League trophies, one Copa del Rey, and four Supercopa de España. He also served as assistant manager for Los Blancos in the 2014–2015 season.
Hierro has been the sporting director for Liga MX club C.D. Guadalajara since October 17, 2022. He was also the manager for Real Oviedo from 2016 to 2017, followed by coaching the Spain national football team in 2018.
This is not the first time Cristiano Ronaldo's recommendation for a new sporting director for the Knights of the Najd has fallen through (via Essentially Sports).
Earlier, Miguel Ribeiro unexpectedly rejected an offer and also reportedly issued an apology to the club authorities. He was also expected to thoroughly assess the team before signing the contract.
Fernando Hierro did not state any specific reason as to why he reportedly rejected the offer from the Riyadh-based club.
Real Madrid's current standing in La Liga
Real Madrid are currently at the top of the La Liga table with 75 points from 30 matches. They have one draw and four wins in the last five matches. Barcelona are eight points behind the table-toppers.
Los Blancos will face RCD Mallorca next in the Spanish league on April 13, 2024.
Real Madrid will also be playing against Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League on April 10, 2024, at their home ground, Santiago Bernabéu. The second leg is slated for April 18, 2024.
Both teams last met in last year's Champions League semi-final, which ended 5-1 defeat for Los Blancos on aggregate.
