By Aaior K. Comfort

Al Nassr has parted ways with Portuguese head coach Luis Castro, as confirmed on Tuesday, following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Iraq’s Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League Elite. This draw, which marked a lackluster start to the club’s Asian competition campaign, compounded Al Nassr’s sluggish performance in the domestic season.

The announcement was made via a statement on X (formerly Twitter) which read, “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, became the third coach to leave Al Nassr since Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile signing in early 2023. His departure follows the exits of French coach Rudi Garcia in April and Croatian coach Dinko Jelicic, who had a brief tenure before Castro’s appointment in July last year.

Despite Ronaldo’s high-profile move, which reportedly earned him 400 million euros over two-and-a-half years, the club has yet to secure a Saudi trophy. The only silverware Ronaldo has claimed with the Riyadh club so far is last year’s Arab Club Champions Cup.

Al Nassr, which finished a distant second in the Saudi Pro League last season, has struggled at the start of the new campaign, drawing twice in their first three matches.

Ronaldo’s arrival marked a significant influx of high-profile signings by Saudi clubs, including Neymar and Karim Benzema, aiming to elevate the league’s international profile.