Cristiano Ronaldo’s club, Al Nassr, has parted ways with Portuguese coach Luis Castro following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Iraq’s Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League Elite campaign. The Saudi Arabian side announced Castro’s departure on Tuesday, citing the underwhelming results in both the domestic and international competitions.
“Al Nassr can announce that head coach Luis Castro has left the club,” the club confirmed in a statement posted on X. “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.”
The draw on Monday further compounded Al Nassr’s slow start to the domestic season, with Ronaldo’s contract set to expire next summer. Castro, 63, is the third coach to leave the Riyadh-based club since Ronaldo’s high-profile arrival in early 2023. His predecessors include French coach Rudi Garcia, who left in April, and Croatian Dinko Jelicic, who had a brief stint before Castro’s appointment in July of last year.
Despite Ronaldo’s celebrated arrival and the influx of other star players like Neymar and Karim Benzema, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has yet to secure a major Saudi domestic title with Al Nassr. His only trophy with the team remains the Arab Club Champions Cup, won in 2023. Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League last season and has had two draws in three matches at the start of the new campaign.
