It’s all over for Luis Castro at Al Nassr. Amidst a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign, the Knights of the Najd have decided to part ways with the Portuguese tactician. Although it has only been hours since Castro’s dismissal, potential replacements are already being linked to the vacant managerial position. While supporters eagerly await confirmation of a new coach, questions loom about whether iconic boss Zinedine Zidane will take charge of the Knights of the Najd to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo?

The ex-Real Madrid boss who coached CR7 for almost three seasons has often been touted for a dream reunion with his former disciple. Though it’s true that the French tactician hasn’t worked in years since 2019, Al Nassr fans and even Ronaldo would happily accept the 3x Champions League-winning boss.

However, hold your horses as it’s too early to get your hopes high! As per the reports from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Al Nassr is rather negotiating with renowned Italian manager Stefano Pioli.  Both parties have been locked in talks which are certainly going in a positive direction. In fact, it is being said that the arrival of the 58-year-old is a matter of time. After all, with the 2024/25 season already underway, Al Nassr would be keen to bring in Castro’s replacement ASAP.

And by ASAP, we mean in time before Ronaldo and Co. line up for their weekend Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ettifaq. Even if the negotiations take time, Al Nassr would certainly like to finalize their new manager by the end of this week. While one may call Stefano Pioli an unorthodox choice, he might just be the man they need.

Pioli has a remarkable CV, having coached over 15 Italian clubs, including Parma, Sassuolo, Lazio, Inter, and Fiorentina. His last club was AC Milan, where he led the Rossoneri to the Serie A title in the 2021-22 season. However, the Italian boss was replaced by Paulo Fonseca ahead of the 2024/25 season. Certainly, if Al Nassr manages to strike a deal, Pioli would be looking to bring the success that Ronaldo and Co. have been desperate for. In the meantime, we take a look at what actually went wrong for Luis Castro within just a year of his arrival at the Riyadh-based club.

How did things go south for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr under Luis Castro?

Luis Castro took over Al Nassr in the summer of 2023 as a key replacement for previous French manager Rudi Garcia. The former Shakhtar Donetsk man was backed to end the silverware drought of the Riyadh side and lead the team to victories. As the journey began, results started to come under Castro. He even led Al Nassr to the Arab Club Champions Cup final by defeating arch-rivals Al Hilal.

However, it was since then that their journey full of peaks and valleys began. Despite being one contender for the Saudi Pro League and Saudi Super Cup title, they sadly remained in the shadow of Jorge Jesus-led Al Hilal. A quarter-final exit in last year’s AFC Champions League also added to the misery of the Saudi giants. Moreover, as the season came to an end, they lost their chance to win any of the major silverware.

While a redemption arc was touted to be made ahead of the new campaign, the pre-season was itself daunting for Al Nassr, losing three and drawing one in the friendlies. Many hoped things would change at the start of the season, but that remained a misconception. In the opening three SPL games, Al Nassr won one and drew two.

This raised questions within the club’s higher level whether Castro would be a fit man to lead Ronaldo and Co. again. Eventually, they hit the panic button and sacked him before things could have gone more wrong. Either way, let’s see what the new manager brings to Al Nassr.