Brendan Rodgers lands Saudi manager’s role after bitter Celtic exit | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers has made a swift return to football management, taking the helm at Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah just six weeks after his contentious departure from Scottish champions Celtic.

This move marks Rodgers’ first managerial role outside of Britain, following spells at Liverpool, Leicester, and Swansea.

Al-Qadsiah, currently sitting fifth in the Saudi Pro League in their inaugural top-flight season, has described Rodgers as a "world-renowned coach."

The club, which boasts Italian striker Mateo Retegui and former Real Madrid defender Fernandez Nacho, stated his arrival "reflects the club’s ambitious vision and its rapidly growing sporting project."

Rodgers’ second tenure at Celtic concluded on 27 October amid significant controversy, with major shareholder Dermot Desmond publicly criticising his conduct as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving," and alleging he "contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club."

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Brendan Rodgers was slammed by Dermot Desmond when he left Celtic in October (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

The club’s chief executive, James Bisgrove, hailed the appointment as a "landmark moment for the club."

He added, "The caliber of his experience and track record of winning reflects our ambition and long-term vision to establish Al-Qadsiah as one of Asia’s leading clubs."

Al-Qadsiah’s status has been significantly transformed since its acquisition by state-owned Saudi oil giant Aramco in 2023.

Rodgers arrives with a strong track record, having secured back-to-back Scottish league titles with Celtic, contributing to his 11 major trophies across two spells, alongside an FA Cup win with Leicester.

He also came close to winning the Premier League with Liverpool back in 2014, but the Reds missed out on the title by two points to Manchester City.

Liverpool failed to build on that campaign as they finished sixth the following season under Rodgers, 25 points behind champions, Chelsea.

Rodgers was sacked in the early stages of the 2015-16 season and replaced by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, but he bounced back to enjoy further success at Celtic and Leicester.