Bruno Lage close to comeback! Ex-Benfica could rival Cristiano Ronaldo | OneFootball

Bruno Lage is in the final stages of negotiations to become head coach of Al Diriyah, a club newly promoted to the Saudi Pro League, in a move that could be made official in the coming days. The 50-year-old Portuguese coach has been without a club since leaving Benfica on September 17, 2025, and now sees his return to management taking shape in a project backed by strong financial investment.

Only a few contract details remain to be settled, namely the length of the deal. An agreement between the parties is considered imminent.

Al Diriyah, a team based in the city of the same name, located around 15 kilometres northwest of Riyadh, secured promotion to the top tier of Saudi football after beating Al Ula, managed by José Peseiro, 2-1 in the promotion play-off.

As such, the Saudi project is expected to involve significant investment in the squad, with the aim of ensuring immediate competitiveness in the Saudi Pro League, the competition in which Cristiano Ronaldo plays. Last season, the team featured, among others, 35-year-old striker Moussa Marega, who previously played for Porto.

If the deal goes through, Bruno Lage will return to a setting he has worked in before, having previously coached Al Ahli’s under-19s and B team in the United Arab Emirates. It should also be noted that the coach has had spells at Benfica, Botafogo and Wolverhampton, as well as assistant coaching roles at Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday.

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