Luis Castro reveals true feelings on Cristiano Ronaldo as axed Al-Nassr boss insists he has a 'clear conscience' about failing to win a trophy with Saudi Pro League club

Despite boasting a star-studded line-up featuring Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Aymeric Laporte, Castro’s side finished second in the 2023-24 league season, 14 points behind arch-rivals Al-Hilal. Jorge Jesus' men's dominance extended beyond the league, with Al-Nassr also suffering defeats in knockout competitions like the Saudi Super Cup and the King Cup of Champions against the same opposition.

Castro’s only silverware came in the form of the Arab Club Champions Cup, in which Al-Nassr triumphed over Al-Hilal with a 2–1 victory. However, after a rough start to the 2024 season, where the club was held to draws in two of its first three league matches, Al-Nassr decided to replace him with Stefano Pioli.

Reflecting on his tenure, Castro noted the strength of Al-Hilal and compared the situation to the eternal rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

"It feels like things would have been different without Al-Hilal, but that's life," he told Record. "Real Madrid often don't achieve their goals because Barcelona exist and vice versa. A team doesn't stop being great just because they don't win at a certain point.

"Al-Hilal had Mitrovic, Cancelo, Ruben Neves, Bono, Milinkovic-Savic... They also broke the Guinness record for consecutive wins. But I have a clear conscience: we gave everything we had and managed to improve the team."

One constant bright spot during Castro’s time at Al-Nassr was his ability to unleash Ronaldo as the forward ended up plundering 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. The manager was impressed with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's exceptional work ethic and determination and said: "Cristiano was, is and will always be determined to be the best. You can see it every day in training. He has a constant desire to play, to break records, to score the most beautiful goals. When you're around him, you understand why he's such a phenomenon. He continues to be decisive in everything he does. He knows that football has given him almost everything and he has a great love for it."

Looking ahead, Castro shared his hopes for Ronaldo to reach his next major milestone: scoring 1,000 career goals. While he admitted that reaching this landmark would depend on various factors beyond Ronaldo’s control, the coach remains optimistic.

"It won't depend on him, but on the context," he said. "We tried to 'get the best' out of Cris and we managed to get him to finish 2023 as the year's top scorer. I hope he has a favourable environment and surpasses that mark."

Ronaldo will return to action following the conclusion of the international break, with a key fixture against Al-Shabab scheduled for Friday in the Saudi Pro League.