Georgios Donis Appointed Head Coach of Saudi National Team

2026-04-23
22:02:32

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Thursday the appointment of Georgios Donis as head coach of the Saudi Arabia senior national team on a contract until July 2027, succeeding Hervé Renard following the mutual termination of the latter’s contract.

Donis arrives with extensive managerial experience across European and Saudi football. His coaching journey has included successful spells with AEK Athens and PAOK, while also building strong familiarity with Saudi football through previous tenures with Al Hilal, Al Wehda and Al Fateh, in addition to his most recent experience with Al Khaleej - a background expected to support a seamless transition into the next phase.

Throughout his coaching career, Donis has achieved several notable honours, including the Cypriot League and Cypriot Cup double in 2013/14, 2015 King's Cup, 2015/16 Saudi Crown Prince Cup and 2015 Saudi Super Cup.

The appointment comes as Saudi Arabia prepares for the fourth-and-final phase of its preparations for FIFA World Cup 2026™, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Federation also confirmed it will hold a press conference in Riyadh with the national team’s technical staff ahead of the squad’s departure to its final pre-tournament training camp in the United States, as FIFA World Cup™ preparations intensify.