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Soccer is a results and performance business. As Jose Mourinho infamously stated after his Porto side beat Manchester United on their way to winning the UEFA Champions League in 2003, “I think it’s a result problem[for Man United]”. This was after legendary Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson accused Mourinho of using dirty tactics to beat United on the night. Mourinho is a huge advocate of intense training. It’s no secret that hard training gets results. Training is a huge part of the process to get the desired results on the pitch. Now, Al-Nassr boss Luis Castro has reiterated exactly that.
This comes after Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to give the Saudi club a 4-0 victory over Al Shabab. Sadio Mane and Sultan Al-Ghannam scored the other two goals which led Al-Nassr to bag three points on the night. But the Al-Nassr gaffer Castro said he only cared about training and the performance.
Al Nassr boss suggests training performances matter
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Al Nassr ran away 4-0 winners against Al Shabab with some pivotal performances by their new signings. Al Nassr boss Castro was impressed and delighted with the result. He was quick to suggest that he didn’t care who played in the national team but only his player’s output in training.
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via Getty
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – AUGUST 12: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Arab Club Champions Cup trophy with teammates after the team’s victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup Final between Al Hilal and Al Nassr at King Fahd International Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
According to the 9NFCBALL handle on X, Castro reportedly said, “I don’t care who plays in the national team or otherwise, I care about the player’s performance in training.”
🚨🎙️|| لويس كاسترو :
" انا لا اهتم بمن يلعب في المنتخب أو غيره , انا يهمني أداء اللاعب بالتدريبات." pic.twitter.com/sWVpvx9sIn
— كورة | #النصر 🦁 (@9NFCBALL) August 30, 2023
Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo fans will surely be delighted with the result. This comes after a sluggish start to the Saudi Pro League season. The club received quite a bit of stick for their poor performances at the onset of the SPL season.
Al Nassr are slowly climbing up the SPL league table
The SPL giants lost their opening two games and failed to register any points on the board.
However, Al Nassr have turned it around and have won two games on the trot. They beat Al Fateh 5-0 and now Al Shabab 4-0.
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via Reuters
Soccer Football – Saudi Pro League – Al-Nassr v Al-Taawoun – Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – August 18, 2023 Al Nassr’s Talisca in action with Al Taawoun’s Alvaro Medran REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the heart of the turnaround. The Portuguese icon scored a hattrick against Al Fateh and now a brace against Al Shabab. And it certainly looks like defenses in the SPL can’t stop him.
For manager Luis Castro, it has been a necessary couple of results after several questions about him being manager arose after the opening two losses. Castro can now look to build on this form and turn it into a winning run.
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Al Nassr are billed as favorites to win the Saudi Pro League. So Castro’s comments and in turn, the team’s results will surely give Al Nassr fans in Saudi Arabia and worldwide plenty to cheer about.
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