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RIYADH: Kingsley Coman is leaving Bayern Munich after a trophy-filled decade to join up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr.

Bayern announced the transfer late Friday. Kicker magazine reported a fee of up to 35 million euros ($41 million) for the French winger.

Coman, who scored Bayern’s winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 Champions League final, will be part of a star-studded forward lineup with Ronaldo, fellow new signing Joao Felix and Coman’s former Bayern teammate Sadio Mane.

Al-Nassr are looking to improve after finishing third in the Saudi Pro League last season and signed Ronaldo to a two-year contract extension in June. Former Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez joined on a free transfer last week.

Coman’s departure from Bayern comes two weeks after the German champion signed Luis Diaz from Liverpool, intensifying Coman’s competition for places. He got a fond farewell from Bayern coach Vincent Kompany after they won the Bundesliga together last season.

“When a player as successful as him leaves the club, it’s always a bit emotional,” Kompany said earlier Friday.

“You have to have understanding for his position in this situation and what he’d like. For me, what’s important now is that we look forward and that we show a lot of respect for Kingsley Coman, for what he’s done for this club.”

Coman won the German title nine times at Bayern since his initial arrival on loan from Juventus in 2015. Despite that success, the 29-year-old winger struggled for playing time last season and was often used as a bench player by Kompany, even before Diaz’s arrival.

Coman had nine goals in 45 games in all competitions last season and is the second experienced Bayern forward to leave after Leroy Sane departed for Turkiye’s Galatasaray on a free transfer, also after lacking game time.

“He earned an eternal place in the club’s history with his goal in the 2020 Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain,” Bayern board member for sport, Max Eberl, said.
 

Defending champions Al-Ahli will face a reunion with Roberto Firmino in the league phase of the Asian Champions League Elite after the Saudi Pro League side were drawn to meet the former Liverpool forward’s new side Al-Sadd of Qatar on Friday.

Firmino was instrumental in the Jeddah-based outfit lifting the continental title for the first time in May when he inspired Al-Ahli to a 2-0 win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in the final before leaving the club in July.

The Brazilian has since joined the Qatar Stars League champions and the two clubs have been drawn to face one another in Doha during the eight-match league phase of the competition, which will kick off on Sept. 15.

The tournament will again adopt the Swiss league format for the opening round after its introduction last season, with the 24 participants divided into 12-team groups for both west and east Asia.

The first eight finishers on each side of the Asian confederation will progress to the last 16, which will be played in March with the quarter-finals, semifinals and final to be held in ������Ƶ from April 17 to 25.

Al-Ahli will also face Shabab Al-Ahli, Sharjah FC and Al-Wahda, all from the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, Iraqi outfit Al-Shorta as well as Al-Gharafa and Al-Duhail of Qatar.

Four-times Asian champions Al-Hilal, also from ������Ƶ, will take on Al-Sadd, Al-Shorta, Shabab Al-Ahli, Nasaf, Al-Duhail, Al-Wahda, Sharjah FC and Al-Gharafa.

In the east, Japanese champions Vissel Kobe will meet South Korean trio Ulsan HD, FC Seoul and Gangwon FC, Melbourne City from Australia, China’s Shanghai Port, Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua plus Johor Darul Ta’zim from Malaysia.

Ulsan HD, winners of the Asian title in 2012 and 2020, play Japan’s Vissel Kobe, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia, Shanghai Port, Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng from China as well as Melbourne City and Thailand’s Buriram United.