Cristiano Ronaldo's Former Manager Reveals His Secret to Success | OneFootball

Luis Castro looked back at his time in charge of Al Nassr and had nothing but great things to say about Cristiano Ronaldo.

Castro made the move to the Saudi Pro League in July 2023 and led Al Nassr to their first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup just one month later. The Portuguese manager had Ronaldo to thank for the almost immediate silverware; the five-time Ballon d'Or winner bagged a brace in extra time to win his first trophy with the club.

The 63-year-old recently opened up to Sky Sports about his experience working with Ronaldo in his 14-month stint at Al Nassr and revealed what makes the forward one of the all-time greats.

"Working with the best in the world is truly enjoyable," Castro said. "Cristiano has very ingrained routines, a strong culture of training, and great respect for practice and for the game itself. That makes daily work much easier."

Even at age 40, Ronaldo is well on his way to becoming the first player to ever score 1,000 career goals. The Real Madrid legend enjoyed great success under Castro, scoring 55 goals in 55 games.

"What [sets Ronaldo] apart is what happens before and after training—the so called 'invisible training' that he does," Castro added.

"His behavior is all tailored towards sports performance—his diet, his sleep and his recovery. He is a person deeply concerned with eating well, sleeping well and preparing his body properly. In my opinion, this is clearly where Cristiano's longevity comes from."

Since joining Al Nassr in Dec. 2022, Ronaldo has found the back of the net 97 times in 109 appearances. Across his entire career, the 40-year-old has scored 934 (and counting) goals. Although he won just about all there is to win in Europe, he has yet to top the Saudi Pro League.

With his contract set to expire on June 30, Ronaldo has a major decision to make about his future. First, though, he must turn his attention to the UEFA Nations League semifinals, where Portugal are set to clash with Germany on June 4.