Al Nassr Boss Luis Castro Throws Shade at Jorge Jesus and Shuts Down Al Hilal Talk Before King’s Cup Showdown

The stage is set for the King Cup of Champions. Last night, Al Nassr defeated Al Khaleej 3-1 to book their place in the tournament’s final, where they will face formidable rivals Al Hilal. While fans will get to witness yet another installment of a fiery Riyadh Derby, Luis Castro has ignited sparks with a pre-match jab. Despite his reluctance to talk about his opponents, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s boss has questioned rival boss Jorge Jesus for having the ‘knowledge‘ of the final’s date.

Prior to Al Nassr’s semi-final clash, there were reports that the King Cup final would take place on May 30th or May 31st, a date that Jesus acknowledged after his side’s victory against Al Ittihad. Speaking in the post-match press conference, when asked about his expectations for the final of the tournament to be scheduled, Castro took a sly dig at the Blue Waves manager. He said, “I had no knowledge of the date of the King’s Cup final, unlike Jorge Jesus, who knew the date of the final.” 

Notably, during Al Hilal’s semi-final triumph over Al Ittihad, Jesus’ star player, Sergej Milinković-Savić, received a red card just before halftime. While Al-Za’eem managed to clinch a 1-2 win with 10 men down, Milinkovic-Savic’s sending-off means he won’t be able to face the Knights of the Najd. Interestingly, when asked about this advantage, Castro denied responding, saying, “I don’t want questions about the final, I want questions about today’s match and the league matches.”

While it’s understandable to see Castro refuse to comment on Milinkovic-Savic’s sending-off, it’s quite an eyebrow-raising claim from the Portuguese tactician regarding Jesus knowing the final date beforehand. It seems like this time, Al Nassr is in no mood to take a beating against Al Hilal this time!

Can Luis Castro’s Al Nassr seek revenge against Al Hilal for previous disappointments?

Another Riyadh derby in the King Cup of Champions final would remind many of last month’s Saudi Super Cup semi-final. It wasn’t a pleasant outing for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co., who endured a 1-2 defeat at the hands of their formidable rivals. In fact, even when facing Jorge Jesus’s side in both of their Roshn Saudi League clashes, they suffered heavy defeats. This could certainly be a chance for Al Nassr to seek revenge.

The Yellow and Blue should be prepared to face the Blue side, who, on the other hand, will again look to extend their dominance. Coincidentally, before the King Cup final, both teams will face each other for their Saudi Pro League match on May 17. That will again give Luis Castro’s side a chance to prepare for the final in a better way. For now, the pre-match jibe contest seems to have begun. Let’s see how things further unfold.