Ronaldo in Hong Kong: new Al-Nassr boss says coaching CR7 was incentive to join
Saudi Super Cup pits Al-Nassr against Al-Ittihad, whose striker Karim Benzema denies it’s all about his battle with ex-Real Madrid colleague
New Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus has said on the eve of the Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong that the opportunity to manage Cristiano Ronaldo was a “big incentive” to accept a new challenge at 71.
Al-Nassr are the 16th club of Jesus’ cosmopolitan career, after he was tasked with masterminding overdue Saudi success for superstar Ronaldo.
The forward, who has plundered 93 goals in 105 Al-Nassr appearances, is in Hong Kong chasing only his second piece of silverware in 2½ years with the Riyadh side, after winning the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup following his transfer from Manchester United.
Al-Nassr are poised to meet champions Al-Ittihad in the first Super Cup semi-final at Hong Kong Stadium on Tuesday.
At a chaotic series of press conferences to preview the competition on Monday, Jesus said: “Cristiano being on board was a big incentive for me to accept this challenge; this is a new life with the Al-Nassr team, and we are mobilising everything for this season.
“This competition is really difficult; I’ve been working to communicate my ideas.