Luis Castro's tenure as the coach of Al-Nassr came to an abrupt end on September 17, 2024, following a poor start to the season. The Riyadh-based club was languishing in seventh place with just five points from three games.
The decision to sack Castro was met with jubilation by many of the players, who felt that the coach had shown undue favoritism towards superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Football pundit Mohammad Al-Deayea revealed that several players celebrated Castro's dismissal because they believed he preferred Ronaldo over other prominent stars in the team.
Al-Deayea stated, "There are some players who celebrated after Castro’s dismissal, because they did not play with him regularly, and they did not feel confident with him. The coach preferred Cristiano Ronaldo over everyone else, despite the presence of prominent names in the team and a lot of progress, but he only cared about his compatriot, which is unacceptable, and caused the players’ level to decline due to the psychological factor."
The former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has been appointed as Castro's successor. Known for his excellent man-management skills, Pioli is expected to bring a fresh approach to the team. His arrival has already had a positive impact, as Al-Nassr performed well in their first match under his guidance.
Al-Deayea noted, "It is true that Cristiano is a high-level scorer and the best player in the world, but the interaction should have been better with the other players. Al-Nassr appeared well in the first match with Pioli because of his interaction psychologically with them."
Pioli's track record includes leading AC Milan to an unprecedented Serie A title, and fans are hopeful that he can replicate similar success with Al-Nassr. The team stands in fifth place, and with Pioli at the helm, there is optimism that they can climb higher in the standings.
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