"Sack Luis Castro," "Terrible" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr play out 0-0 draw with fourth division Portuguese side
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) have slammed Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr following their game against Portuguese side Lusitano GC. The Saudi club was held to a goalless draw in the friendly on Tuesday, July 30.
Al-Nassr have been below par in pre-season in Ronaldo's absence. They have managed to win just one out of six friendlies. They began their tour in Portugal with a 1-1 draw against fourth-division side Louletano DC before defeating Maritimo 1-0. SC Farense held them to another 1-1 draw.
The Knights of Najd then lost 1-0 to Portimonense before they were trashed 4-0 by FC Porto. Coach Luis Castro fielded a strong side against Porto but decided to give minutes to fringe players against Lusitano. Top stars like Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Talisca, Otavio, and Alex Telled were omitted from the starting XI.
Fans were upset with their inability to deliver the goods against the fourth-division Portuguese side. One fan called for the coach's sack, saying:
"Sack Luis Castro."
Another fan expressed disappointment with the team's performance, writing:
"Terrible team ngl."
A third fan insinuated that the club's poor outing could be due to Cristiano Ronaldo's absence:
"Missing Ronaldo?" the fan commented.
Check out more reactions below:
"Sick club... Finished club. Can't win a single match in preseason.. Lmao," one fan posted.
"Long season lmaooo, goodluck to those watching," another fan chimed in.
"I don’t know what to say," one fan said mocking Al-Nassr's match result.
What's next for Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in pre-season?
Al-Nassr will continue their preparation for the new season by engaging in more pre-season friendlies. The Knights of Najd have been on a tour in Cristiano Ronaldo's home country Portugal and will next travel to Spain.
They will play Granada at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes on Sunday (August 4) before taking on UD Almeria on August 8 at the UD Almeria Stadium.
Ronaldo is still on holiday with his family after Portugal’s quarter-final exit from Euro 2024. It is still unknown when the 39-year-old will rejoin the team. However, speculations from the club's camp indicate that he may return to action ahead of the Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al-Taawoun on August 14.