The heavy defeat (1-4) to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup may have been the final act of Luís Castro’s adventure at Al Nassr. According to Saudi media, the club’s management is seriously discussing the dismissal of the Portuguese coach and may have even begun the search for a successor.
The departure now looks like the most likely scenario, although there are reports of a disagreement among members of the board. Luís Castro’s situation was already weakened by poor performances in the preseason – one win in eight matches – and the humiliating loss in the Super Cup heightened the criticism from fans and may have been the last straw for Al Nassr’s management. According to local media, the reasons for the likely dismissal are related to the inability to beat Al Hilal – he has only won one of the six matches played against the rival – and the lack of solutions to turn the situation around.
Luís Castro arrived in Riyadh last summer and, despite winning the Arab Champions Cup right at the start, he failed to secure any of the remaining titles and finished 14 points behind champion Al Hilal in the league. With the championship debut set for Thursday, the coming hours will be decisive for the coach’s future.
By Vasco Borges
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