By Ohuakanwa Chibuzo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club, Al Nassr, has announced the departure of Portuguese coach Luis Castro, just a day after the team opened their AFC Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Iraq’s Al Shorta.
The disappointing result adds to a sluggish start in the domestic league, with the 39-year-old Ronaldo’s current contract set to expire next summer. Al Nassr confirmed Castro’s exit through a statement posted on X, saying, “Al Nassr can announce that head coach Luis Castro has left the club. Everyone at Al Nassr would like to thank Luis and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 14 months, wishing them the best of luck for the future.”
Castro, 63, becomes the third coach to leave the Riyadh-based club since Ronaldo’s arrival in early 2023 on a lucrative contract reportedly worth €400 million over two-and-a-half years. Prior to Castro, Frenchman Rudi Garcia and Croatian coach Dinko Jelicic also had short-lived tenures with the club.
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Despite Ronaldo’s stellar career, he is yet to secure a Saudi Pro League title, with his only trophy for Al Nassr being last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup. Al Nassr, who finished second in the Saudi Pro League last season, have struggled at the start of this campaign, managing just two draws in their first three matches.
Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has been part of a broader trend of high-profile football signings in the kingdom, with stars like Neymar and Karim Benzema also joining Saudi clubs.
