Former Newcastle United board member whose 'just watch' claim came true joins another PIF club
A former Newcastle United board member has been appointed as the new CEO of Al-Nassr.
Majed Al Sorour, a long-time ally of Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, previously served as a director at the club before stepping down in 2022. The ex-Saudi Golf chief attended Newcastle's first game after the takeover, against Spurs, and took in a number of matches from the directors' box at St James' Park over the course of the following year.
Although Newcastle were winless at the time of the buy-out, Cho Minn Thant, the CEO of the Asian Tour, previously told ChronicleLive that Al Sorour was 'very confident' the Magpies would stay up with the Saudi even remarking: "There is no way they are going to get relegated. Just watch."
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Those words proved prophetic and Al Sorour has now returned to football to take up a post at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, who are among a number of clubs in the PIF's portfolio. The PIF bought 75% stakes in Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli around a year-and-a-half ago to 'unleash various commercial opportunities, including investment, partnership and sponsorships across numerous sports'.
By that stage, Cristiano Ronaldo had already joined Al-Nassr and Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte and Mohamed Simakan are among those players who have since followed from European clubs. Al-Nassr are currently managed by former AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli, who Newcastle came up against in the Champions League last season, and the Magpies actually trained at the Saudi side's stadium, Al-Awwal Park, during a warm-weather training camp in Riyadh a couple of months ago.
