Al Nassr will take on Al Ettifaq in their Matchday 4 clash of the Saudi Pro League, and all eyes wiil be on Cristiano Ronaldo, who was notably absent during the team’s last match in the 1-1 draw against Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play as starter after missing the Al Shorta match. His last appearance for Al Nassr came in a 1-1 draw against Al Ahli in Matchday 3 of the Saudi Pro League.
Today’s game will mark the first time Ronaldo plays under new head coach Stefano Pioli, who recently replaced Luis Castro. Following Castro’s departure, Al Nassr quickly reached an agreement with the former AC Milan manager to take over.
Pioli’s first starting XI for Al Nassr will be this one: Bento; Sultan Al Ghanam, Mohamed Simakan, Aymeric Laporte, Salem Al Najdi; Abdullah Al Khaibari, Otavio; Anderson Talisca, Sadio Mané, Angelo, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrating after scores the 1st goal during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Raed. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Luis Castro breaks silence after departure
On Tuesday 17, Al Nassr announced the termination of Luis Castro’s contract. With Stefano Pioli already confirmed as his successor, the Portuguese manager took to Instagram to share his thoughts after parting ways with Ronaldo and the team.
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“Now that I cease my functions as Al Nassr’s Head Coach, I want to thank everyone that supported me and worked every day by my side. I wish them great luck and success,” Castro wrote.
Castro leaves Al Nassr after managing 54 matches, with an impressive record of 36 wins, 9 draws, and 9 losses. He also led the team to victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup, defeating Al Hilal 2-1 in August 2023, adding another trophy to Ronaldo’s collection.
Al Nassr’s upcoming matches
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With Pioli at the helm, Al Nassr will face the following fixtures:
- September 23 – vs. Al Hazem (Saudi King’s Cup)
- September 27 – vs. Al Wehda (Saudi Pro League)
- September 30 – vs. Al Rayyan (AFC Champions League Elite)
- October 5 – vs. Al Orobah (Saudi Pro League)
- October 18 – vs. Al Shabab (Saudi Pro League)
