Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr hire Portuguese coach Luis Castro

FARO, Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo got a new club coach on Thursday when Al-Nassr announced they hired his fellow Portuguese Luis Castro.

The Saudi club confirmed the appointment from a preseason training camp in Portugal. The length of the coach’s contract was not disclosed.

Castro is the latest coaching hire this week in the Saudi Pro League, following Jorge Jesus at Al-Hilal and Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.

The 61-year-old Portuguese is best known for his two seasons in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk including home and away wins over Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League. He spent last season in Brazil with Botafogo.

Castro will lead Al-Nassr into a qualifying playoff for the Asian Champions League next month after the team finished runner-up last season in the Saudi Pro League. The champions Al-Ittihad were coached by another Portuguese, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Al-Nassr were coached last season by Frenchman Rudi Garcia then Dinko Jelicic of Croatia as an interim hire.

Al-Nassr are among four top Saudi clubs effectively nationalized last month by being taken into majority ownership by the sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund.