Ex-Benfica coach Jens Wissing ‘to take over’ at Al Ittihad as Sérgio Conceição successor | OneFootball

According to Kicker, Jens Wissing is close to taking charge at Al Ittihad and is preparing to sign a deal running to 2028, succeeding Sérgio Conceição, who held the role for part of last season.

The German is set to leave Gamba Osaka, where he achieved one of the early landmarks of his career by winning the Asian Champions League 2. He posted 10 wins in 27 matches with the Japanese club and Al Ittihad missed out on continental qualification.

At the Saudi club, Wissing would work with Portuguese duo Roger Fernandes and Danilo Pereira. Aged 38, this would be his second stint in Asian football, having served on Benfica’s coaching staff alongside Roger Schmidt from 2022 to 2024.

During that period, Schmidt led Benfica with Wissing’s assistance in 115 competitive games, returning 80 wins, 20 draws and 15 defeats. The club won the league in 2022/23 and lifted the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira the following season.

If appointed, Wissing’s task would be to push Al Ittihad into title contention against Al Nassr in the Saudi league. He would be the second ex-Benfica figure to take a job in the country this week, after Bruno Lage was announced by Al Diriyah.

Source: Glorioso 1904