The former coach of Germany's RB Leipzig has dealt a fresh blow to Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, turning down a tempting offer to take charge of the club as successor to his compatriot Matthias Jaissle.
Jaissle resigned from Al-Ahli last Thursday to take over England's Newcastle United, and the Saudi side have yet to land a replacement.
Press reports had earlier claimed Al-Ahli approached Germany's Ole Werner, the former Leipzig manager, to lead the team next season in Jaissle's place.
The Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, citing Germany's Bild, reported that Werner rejected the chance to manage Al-Ahli next season despite the tempting financial offer on the table.
Al-Ahli offered the German coach around 11 million euros per year, three times the salary he earned at Leipzig, which stood at around 3.7 million euros per year.
Werner preferred to take a break from coaching for now, particularly after the surprising manner of his Leipzig exit. He was sacked without his knowledge while on his summer holiday in Malaysia.
The German is the latest coach Al-Ahli have failed to sign for next season, following several others, chief among them Spaniards Xavi Hernandez and Marcelino.
Al-Ahli's management want to close the coaching file as soon as possible, so their new man can lead the final preparations. The season is fast approaching, and it will see Al-Ahli compete in more than one domestic and continental competition.
They officially begin the new campaign on 13 August, facing Al-Diriyah in the first round of the Saudi Roshn League.
Al-Ahli are chasing the Saudi League, a trophy missing from their cabinet since 2016, and they also want to retain the AFC Champions League Elite title they have won in the past two seasons.