Al Nassr has dismissed Luis Castro after a disappointing start to the season, making him the third manager to leave the club since Cristiano Ronaldo joined. The Saudi club announced Castro’s departure following their lackluster performance, which has left them seventh in the Saudi Pro League and resulted in a loss to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final.
The club expressed gratitude to Castro and his staff for their efforts over the past 14 months. Castro previously guided Al Nassr to victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup but struggled to find the same success in the league, where Al Hilal dominated.
The Main Reason Behind Sacking Luis Castro
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Al Nassr appointed Castro in July 2023 while he was managing Brazilian league leaders Botafogo, leaving his position in Rio de Janeiro to take the opportunity to coach Ronaldo. However, the season did not unfold as hoped, with Al Nassr finishing trophyless (excluding official titles) in 2023-24.
Despite Ronaldo setting a league record for the most goals in a single season, it wasn’t sufficient to contend for the title. Al Hilal topped the Saudi Pro League, finishing 14 points ahead of Al Nassr, who ended up as runners-up despite having a prolific squad. Al Hilal also triumphed over Al Nassr in the 2023-24 King Cup, winning the final in a penalty shootout.
Castro faced further pressure after another penalty shootout loss in the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinals, where Al Nassr fell to Al Ain, with Ronaldo being the only player from his team to convert his penalty. Al Nassr began the season with a 1-1 draw against Al Raed, followed by a 4-0 victory over Al Feiha in Matchday 2, but then dropped points again in a draw with Al Ahli in their third match.
Al Nassr’s Future Coach Option
Stefano Pioli, former AC Milan manager who led Milan to the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season, is being considered as Castro’s replacement. Pioli has experience managing other prominent clubs like Inter Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina. According to Fabrizio Romano, former AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli is now the leading candidate to take over, following the collapse of talks for a move to Al-Ittihad. Milan decided to let Pioli go after a trophyless 2023/24 season, with Paulo Fonseca stepping in as his replacement.
Although the Al-Ittihad opportunity didn’t materialize, Pioli could potentially coach the legendary Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. The club aims to dethrone Al-Hilal as league champions, making a turnaround in performance crucial for their hopes of winning silverware. Currently sitting seventh in the table with five points from nine, Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr will face Al-Ettifaq in their next match on Friday night. It remains uncertain whether Pioli will be in charge by then.
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