2023-07-06 15:38:55
FARO, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo got a new coach for his team Thursday when Al-Nassr announced Portugal’s Luís Castro.
The Saudi Arabian team confirmed the arrival from a pre-season training camp in Portugal. The extension of the coach’s contract was not disclosed.
Castro is the latest coaching signing this week in the cash-rich Saudi Pro League after Jorge Jesus at Al-Hilal and Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.
The 61-year-old Portuguese is best known for his two seasons with Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, including home and away victories over Real Madrid in the 2020-21 Champions League group stage. Last season he was in Brazil with Botafogo.
Castro will take charge of Al-Nassr for the Asian Champions League qualification playoff game next month after the team finished runners-up in the Saudi Pro League. Champion Al-Ittihad was coached by another Portuguese, Nuno Espírito Santo.
Al-Nassr was managed last season by the Frenchman Rudi Garcia, then by Dinko Jeličić, from Croatia, as interim.
Al-Nassr is among the four major Saudi teams that were nationalized last month by becoming majority owned by the sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund. PIF claims to have assets of around $700 billion and is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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