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• Pioli says speculation over his Milan future is part of the job

  Milan coach Stefano Pioli said criticism and speculation are part of his job, as he still does not know if he will remain in the role for next season.

  Milan snapped a six-match winless streak with an emphatic 5-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, yet the pressure remains on the Italian coach, with the Rossoneri only aiming for second place in Serie A after city rivals Inter became champions.

  "We are a big club, there are big expectations, so fierce criticism is to be expected, just as ebullient praise is expected when you win," Pioli told Sky Sports.

  "That is part of the job, you have to accept it all, or you do a different profession.

  "I try to help the team to overcome difficult moments and play as well as possible. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes I got things wrong."

  A section of Milan fans have been holding protests at matches, demanding clarity from the management regarding the club's plans after two seasons without silverware.

  The club ended their Europa League campaign in the quarter-finals last month, losing at Roma.

  Pioli added: "I am really sad about this situation, as we were so proud to create that symbiosis with the fans, which passed on positivity, energy and confidence.

  "I have not yet talked to the club. We have another two rounds to go, the season is not over yet.

  "I hope everyone around Milan can rediscover that harmony, enthusiasm and energy that helped us to achieve things that perhaps nobody believed were possible."

• Al Hilal crowned Saudi Pro League champions after Al Hazm hammering

  Al Hilal secured their fourth straight Saudi Pro League title after Aleksandar Mitrovic starred in Saturday's 4-1 thrashing of bottom side Al Hazm.

  Faiz Selemani restored parity after Mitrovic's 15th-minute opener at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, only for Jorge Jesus' hosts to roar back and be crowned champions with three games remaining.

  Ahmed Al Juwaid's own goal handed the initiative back to the dominant Al Hilal, who led 4-1 at the break after Mitrovic added another to his tally and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was on target.

  The second of Mitrovic's strikes took him to a team-leading 26 league goals this term as Al Hilal breezed to another title, moving an unassailable 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.

  Jesus' side are unbeaten through all 31 games this season after securing their record-extending 19th top-flight crown in history, while Al Hazm need to win their last three matches to have any chance of staying up.

  Al Hazm's relegation rivals Al Tai boosted their chances of survival in Saturday's earlier clash after a 1-1 draw away against Al Raed.

  Al Tai are just a point away from 15th-placed Abha Club in their bid for top-flight safety after Ibrahim Al Nakhli's strike was cancelled out by Al Raed's Mohammed Fouzair in the second half.

• Al-Ittihad 0-5 Al-Ettifaq: Ekambi scores hat-trick in five-star display

  Karl Toko Ekambi netted a hat-trick as Al-Ettifaq got back to winning ways in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

  He scored twice in four minutes at the end of the first half to send the visitors into the break 4-0 up before getting his third just 10 minutes after the break.

  Seko Fofana had already given Steven Gerrard’s side the lead five minutes into the contest, while Moussa Dembele doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.

  Al-Ittihad had the chances, but they could not find the back of the net, as they stayed fifth, but are now just six points above Al-Ettifaq. 

  Data Debrief: Clinical finishers

  Al-Ettifaq had five shots on target against Al-Ittihad, scoring with all of them while creating an xG of 3.62.

  With his hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, Ekambi has now scored 11 goals for the season, netting more than once for the first time since joining the club.