Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC have agreed  terms with Portugal’s José Morais to coach the team until the end of the season.

“The club administration concluded an agreement with Portuguese coach José Morais and his assistants to lead the first team until the end of the season as a replacement to Rogério Micale,” said the Al Hilal statement.

Micale coached Al Hilal in their 2021 AFC Champions League group stage campaign, with the 2019 continental champions advancing to the Round of 16 as one of the three best group runners-up.

Morais will be returning to Saudi Arabia for the third time in his coaching career, having previously managed Al Hazm, Al Faisaly and Al Shabab – who he coached for the first time in 2007 before steering them to the Saudi Super Cup title seven years later.

The Portuguese coach is vastly experienced, having managed teams in Germany, Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, England, Ukraine and Korea Republic, leading Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to back-to-back K League 1 titles in 2019 and 2020.

Morais’ immediate task will be to prepare Al Hilal for Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Al Shabab, with both teams tied on 48 points with five matches remaining.