Former Oxford United Manager Lands New Job | OneFootball

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Former Oxford United boss Des Buckingham has been unveiled as the new manager of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Kholood FC.

Buckingham was Oxford United’s manager from November 2023 to December 2024 and took them to the Championship via the League One playoffs at the end of the 2023/24 season.

However, following a poor string of results in the Championship and fears of relegation back into League One, he was sacked by the U’s back in December last year.

The 40-year-old has been without a job since then, but has now finally got the opportunity to return to full-time management.

He has been unveiled as the manager of Saudi Pro League side Al-Kholood, who finished ninth in the 18-team league last season.

“Introducing the new technical director of Al-Khalood Club (the real one) Des Buckingham”, a statement on the official X feed revealed.

Buckingham will be looking to push Al-Kholood up the Saudi Pro League table and play eye-catching football in the process.

He will be pitted against well-known managers such as Laurent Blanc and Simone Inzaghi in Saudi Arabia.

The Al-Kholood FC team do not have any well-known European names to boast of, and therefore, it will be interesting to see how Buckingham copes with the challenge.

He has previously managed in Asia with Mumbai City, and in Oceania, at Melbourne City and Wellington Phoenix.

Buckingham will be aiming to show what he is capable of in Saudi Arabia and get his managerial career back on track.