Rangers title-winning boss 'sacked' from £15.2m-a-year Saudi Pro League job as fans turn on Liverpool icon
The Liverpool icon has reportedly been facing demands to resign from his position after defeat to a second division team
Former Rangers title-winning manager Steven Gerrard has reportedly been sacked by Al-Ettifaq, according to media in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Sport claims that the 44-year-old - who signed a bumper £15.2million-a-year contract last summer - has been dismissed by the Pro League side in the wake of their shock Saudi King’s Cup exit to second division side Al-Jabalain last night.
The Liverpool icon is just 16 months and 46 games into his deal after leading the club to a respectable sixth-place finish in the table last season. But it appears fans have now turned on Gerrard due to their dismal run of form and are demanding he resigns from his position following the 3-1 defeat in the last-16 of the competition.
Pressure has been steadily mounting on the English football legend in recent weeks, with Ettifaq now sitting in a lowly 10th place this term - five points above the relegation zone - having failed to register a league win since mid-September. The club have yet to officially confirm reports of Gerrard’s dismissal.
His decision to name ex-Celtic and Lyon frontman Moussa Dembele on the bench rather than in the starting XI and his tactical approach to certain games have left supporters rather perplexed, with some fearing on social media that he could drag the club even further down the table if he remains in charge.
Gerrard was one of a host of high-profile names to join the Saudi football movement last year, but respected pundits in the Middle East have been extremely critical of his management in recent times. Nasser Al-Jedaie stated: “Gerrard served Al-Ettifaq outside the field, but there are no results for the technical work. What is the project that Gerrard is leading?”
Sports journalist Turki Al-Ajmah also believes Gerrard should step down from a“sad” situation after the club’s latest humiliating loss. He did little to appease fans after previously admitting that he arranges training session for certain times in the day in order to watch his beloved Liverpool play.