2025-26 RSL: Meet the Managers | OneFootball

We’ve got the champions, the crowded pack of challengers, the Asian title holders, the new boys, and a host of teams homing in on the new Roshn Saudi League season with boundless optimism.

Within those, we’ve got some of the finest footballers, not only on the continent, but throughout the global game.

But who are the men to put together all the pieces, the people in the dugout that must plot their respective club’s route to – hopefully – success this campaign?

Those head coaches who have to extract the best from the litany of talented technicians on the pitch?

Ahead of Thursday’s highly anticipated 2025-26 RSL opener, we’ve picked through the managerial minefield to bring you a complete guide to the tacticians taking the lead this term.

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Potent Portuguese flavour

The 2025-26 RSL will be dominated by Portuguese managers, with no fewer than six hailing from the country. That’s right, that’s exactly one third of the head coaches to begin the campaign.

That group includes the illustrious Jorge Jesus, title winner with Al Hilal and former RSL Manager of the Season, who shocked everyone with his summer appointment at Riyadh rivals Al Nassr.

There’s also a trio with significant RSL experience: Pedro Emanuel at Al Fayha, Jose Gomes at Al Fateh and Paulo Sergio at Al Okhdood.

And, making up the band of Portuguese brothers are two newbies to the Saudi Arabian top flight: Armando Evangelista, installed at Damac, and Mario Silva, the man who last season guided Al Najmah to a historic promotion to the RSL.

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Formidable Frenchman

Two of the most high-profile managers this season share nationality – and each form the figurehead to two of the most expectant clubs.

In Laurent Blanc, Al Ittihad have a head coach who has seen and done almost it all both as player and manager, and most recently, led the Jeddah club to the RSL title. Can he become the first manager in history to successfully defend the crown?

Whereas Blanc has the Saudi experience, compatriot Christophe Galtier is new to the RSL – which kind of fits, considering he’s about to guide NEOM SC through their first campaign in the top tier.

Galtier, of course, has tasted success with Paris Saint-Germain. Now in charge of arguably the most ambitious club in the division, can he, like Blanc, deliver on some lofty targets in his debut season?

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Local luminaries

Very much flying the flag for Saudi coaches, Saad Al Shehri embarks on his first full season with Al Ettifaq with plenty to suggest the club can continue their upward curve under him.

The former Saudi Arabia Under-20s and U23s head coach – he enjoyed superb success with both – the Dammam native replaced Steven Gerrard midway through last season, taking his boyhood club from 12th to finishing seventh.

Already a manager of real renown, Al Shehri serves also as a rousing role model to Saudi coaches across the country.

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Inspiring innovators

If you need any convincing the RSL is home to some of the finest managerial talent around, look no further than Matthias Jaissle and Simone Inzaghi.

The former, still only 37, has packed loads into a coaching career that began with RB Salzburg, guiding Al Ahli to third in the 2023-24 RSL upon their return to the top flight and then, in May, to a historic AFC Champions League Elite success.

The trophies continue to be collected: on Sunday, Al Ahli defeated Al Nassr on penalties to capture the 2025 Saudi Super Cup.

With Jaissle no doubt targeting the RSL title, one of his obvious rivals for that trophy has rocked up in Riyadh. Al Hilal made world headlines in June when they appointed Italy's Inzaghi, who landed in the capital having just taken Inter Milan to a second UEFA Champions League final in three seasons.

After a trophy-laden reign at Lazio and then Inter, Inzaghi showcased his credentials once more at the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, where Al Hilal made the entire game sit up and take notice. Some serious star power has arrived on the 2023-24 RSL champions' touchline.

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Shrewd Spaniards

The Iberian feel to the campaign doesn’t sit solely in Portugal, with a trio of Spanish managers in place. Al Shabab have gone for the enterprising Imanol Alguacil, who shone during seven years at Real Sociedad, and Al Riyadh a fellow countryman in Javier Calleja.

If that duo needs tips on how to settle in Saudi, then Michel would be the perfect brain to pick: the Al Qadsiah manager, a Real Madrid and Spain great, first guided his current club to promotion, then last season followed it with a fourth-placed finish in the RSL and a run to the King’s Cup final.

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RSL stalwarts

For sure, there’s no shortage of managers with deep knowledge of the RSL, with Georgios Donis and Pericles Chamusca among the most notable.

Rather impressively, Donis’ CV charts spells at Al Hilal, Al Wehda (two), Al Fateh and Al Khaleej, his present role highlighted by successive 12th-placed finishes.

Chamusca, meanwhile, can claim an even better result: two seasons ago, he oversaw Al Taawoun’s amazing rise to fourth. Now back at Wolves Park after last term taking NEOM SC to RSL promotion, will the hugely popular Brazilian have a similar impact?

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Fresh appointees

In contrast, the 2025-26 RSL contains nine managers who have been appointed ahead of this season – equating to half of the head coaches in the league.

Alongside the aforementioned Jesus, Inzaghi, Galtier, Alguacil, Calleja, Evangelista and Chamusca, there’s also Des Buckingham, at Al Kholood, and Jalel Kadri, at Al Hazem.

From England, 40-year-old Buckingham arrives at an eminently intriguing project in Ar Rass having been previously earmarked by the City Football Group as a coach with serious credentials.

Kadri, meanwhile, may have RSL experience with Al Khaleej almost a decade ago, but he is taking charge of Al Hazem for the first time. Having formerly managed his national team, the Tunisian is tasked by his new employers with keeping the club in the top flight.