How is ex-Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi getting on? | OneFootball

FLW looks at how Sabri Lamouchi is faring these days...

Sabri Lamouchi has accumulated a solid body of second-tier work with both Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City, but he now finds himself on the other side of the globe.

The 52-year-old enjoyed a storied playing career with the likes of Monaco, Parma, AC Milan and Marseille before taking his first steps into management in 2012.

Lamouchi spent two years managing the Ivory Coast national side before handing in his resignation following their elimination from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

After spells with Qatar outfit El Jaish and Rennes, Lamouchi stepped into English football for the first time in the summer of 2019 by taking the job at Nottingham Forest.

His time at the City Ground divides opinion to this day, although there is no getting away from the facts.

Forest had occupied a play-off spot for large parts of the 2019/20 campaign and looked destined to finish in the top-six, only to lose their place on the final day in dramatic fashion by falling to a 4-1 defeat at home to Stoke City.

Lamouchi, though, was the first manager to complete a full season at Forest in more than nine years at the time, having guided the side to their highest league position since the 2010/11 term.

He received his marching orders following a troubling start to his second season in charge, before returning to the Championship with Cardiff City in January 2023.

The Bluebirds, who have experienced a managerial turnover all-too-similar to Forest’s before their eventual promotion, appointed Lamouchi on a short-term basis in a bid to retain their Championship status, having been left in the quagmire of a relegation dogfight.

Lamouchi ultimately fulfilled his call of duty by keeping Cardiff in the Championship by the skin of their teeth, but the Welsh side opted against keeping him on for the following campaign.

He has been out of English football ever since, and with that in mind, Football League World takes a look at how the Frenchman is getting on as of late…

Ex-Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City boss Sabri Lamouchi is managing in Saudi Arabia

Lamouchi returned for his third stint in the Middle East during the summer, becoming the new manager of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Riyadh.

He has previously undertaken stays in Qatar, and he moved to Saudi Arabia to take the post in June after the exit of former Fluminese and Santos manager Odair Hellman.

It must be said, Lamouchi has enjoyed a highly-impressive start to life in Saudi Arabia’s top-flight.

At the time of writing, Al Riyadh have won four of their opening seven league games under Lamouchi, who has elevated his new side up to fourth in the table.

The feat is all the more impressive looking at some of the sides below Lamouchi’s outfit, who boast genuine superstars. For example, they are three points above Al Alhi, who have the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Franck Kessie to call upon and completed a blockbuster deal for Ivan Toney only this summer.

The Saudi Arabia capital side are also clear of Al-Qadsiah by the same margin, a team who welcomed former Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Barcelona hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in July.

What’s more, Lamouchi’s men are just four points off an Al Nassr side led by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sabri Lamouchi is set to face off against Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante next

Lamouchi will face a stiff test this coming Thursday, when his side will lock horns with Al-Ittihad.

Al Ittihad are currently in second position and that should really not come as a surprise given the wealth of top-drawer talent within their ranks.

Most notably, of course, their line is led by 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, who was among the finest frontmen in world football during his illustrious silverware-laden reign with Real Madrid and has already scored eight goals for Al-Ittihad so far this season.

Benzema is in good company, too, and the iconic French striker also counts Fabinho, Moussa Diaby, Houssem Aouar and N’Golo Kante among his teammates.