Should Cristiano Ronaldo Be Benched? Luis Castro Channels His Inner Jose Mourinho to Shut Down Journalist’s Suggestion

Cristiano Ronaldo had a bad day at the box office last night, with the Al Nassr skipper missing three crucial chances. While the player did supply Otavio with the opening goal, his failed chances provided Al Hilal with a comeback, thanks to Aleksander Mitrovic‘s strike in the dying minutes. Fans were not pleased with the Portuguese superstar, with many claiming his poor performance in front of the posts cost the team the game. However, Al Nassr head coach Luis Castro seems to be firmly behind his player.

When asked by a journalist about his decision to keep playing Cristiano Ronaldo despite his misses, the manager was quick to shut him down. Castro stated that he doesn’t answer questions from journalists when it comes to his tactics of putting the question to bed. While Luis Castro may be firmly behind his player, his inability to produce results this season has been a growing concern for Al Nassr’s management.

According to reports, Al Nassr’s management is not too happy with the manager and could part ways with him, if the team fails to win the Kings Cup. The team could make a move for Cristiano Ronaldo’s former boss, Jose Mourinho, especially with how Mourinho has been vocal about his admiration for Cristiano as of late.

Jose Mourinho claims Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be benched unless he retires

Mourinho, in a video with trading card brand Topps, praised the Al Nassr skipper, claiming, “I have to be respectful. History is history. I have to be respectful. Cristiano [Ronaldo] can never be on the bench. When he retires, when he doesn’t retire, he has to play!” While a section of fans might have missed it, the comments, rather than praising Cristiano, were used as a dig at Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

The United boss infamously kept Ronaldo on the bench for the majority of his final season at the club. Mourinho has been vocal about his lack of admiration for Ten Hag, with the Portuguese also claiming the Dutchman has too much support at Manchester United and other managers have been sacked for less.

Ten Hag has also clapped back, with the two managers going back and forth. However, it seems things have died down between the two, as Ten Hag is now focused on guiding his team to the FA Cup win over Manchester City. Do you think Jose Mourinho is right in criticizing Erik ten Hag? Let us know in the comments below.