Al-Nassr appoint Cristiano Ronaldo's Portuguese compatriot as new head coach
Al-Nassr have appointed Cristiano Ronaldo's compatriot Luis Castro as their new manager. The 61-year-old Portuguese coach was last in charge of Brazilian side Botafogo.
Al-Nassr parted ways with Rudi Garcia midway through the 2022-23 season. Under-19 coach Dinko Jelicic saw off the rest of the campaign in which they ended trophyless.
They finish second in the Saudi Pro League and were knocked out of the two domestic cup competitions. While Cristiano Ronaldo was among the goals, scoring 14 and setting up three in his first 19 games for the club, Al-Alamy couldn't lift a silverware.
Fans will hope that Castro's arrival can bring a change in fortune as he works with the team and his compatriot.
Back in 2020, the Portuguese coach said about Ronaldo (h/t GOATTWORLD):
"When you have Ronaldo in your team, you should never let go of him. He is the best player in the world. A machine that never stops working. His story is amazing. Cristiano is like a building that has risen by itself, without anyone's help."
Whether Castro can unleash Ronaldo's full power remains to be seen. He has previously managed Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk as well.
Cristiano Ronaldo has already outlined his expectations in his second season at Al-Nassr
During his illustrious professional career, Cristiano Ronaldo has rarely gone trophyless during a season. However, the last two seasons, including his stint at Manchester United and his first six months at Al-Nassr, have been without silverware.
Ronaldo is keeping his patience though. The 38-year-old, unsurprisingly, has set lofty expectations of himself for the second season in Riyadh.
Speaking about his ambitions, he told the Saudi Pro League's official media:
"We improved a lot. Let’s say this last five six months, the team improve a lot. Even the league, all the teams improve and my team as well. It takes time sometimes. But, if you believe it's your goal, I think everything is possible. I expected to win something this year but we didn't. But, next year I am really positive and confident that things will change and we'll do in a better way. So, let’s believe on that and work on that."
Al-Alamy have started making moves in the transfer market as well. They have signed veteran midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan for €18 million.