Hernan Crespo has been dismissed as head coach of UAE’s Al Ain FC, just six months after leading them to a landmark AFC Champions League title. The decision follows a 5-1 defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the Champions League Elite group stage, which left Al Ain at the bottom of their group with only one point from four matches. The club cited recent results as “not up to expectations” in its statement, adding that they intend to appoint a replacement swiftly.
Crespo, the former Argentina striker and former player for clubs like Chelsea and Inter Milan, joined Al Ain in November of last year and enjoyed early success, guiding the team to a Champions League title over Yokohama F. Marinos in a two-legged final in May. However, the team has since struggled, experiencing a string of disappointing performances since late September, culminating in Tuesday’s heavy loss to Al Nassr, where Ronaldo scored in the rout.
In addition to their struggles in Asia’s top club competition, Al Ain has had an underwhelming start to their UAE Pro League season, sitting in eighth place with just eight points from five matches—10 points behind leaders Shabab Al Ahli.
