Jorge Jesus boycotts, ex-Benfica boss missing after Al Riyadh-Nassr | OneFootball

Tension continues at Al Nassr. Neither Jorge Jesus nor the players of the Saudi club, where Cristiano Ronaldo chose not to be called up, attended the usual press commitments before and after the match at Al Riyadh’s home, which resulted in a 1-0 victory, with an assist from João Félix.

The Portuguese coach did not attend the customary quick interview before Saudi league matches nor the post-match press conference after the 20th round of the Saudi championship. Saudi media reported that Jorge Jesus apologized for not reviewing the match. Refusing to hold the press conference could cost the Al Nassr coach more than 6,700 euros, according to the Saudi league’s disciplinary and ethics regulations.

The Al Nassr blackout extended to the squad. According to reports, the Saudi club’s management refused to allow any player to appear in the quick interview area. All of this is due to the management that the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund) has been carrying out at the club for the past three years, especially in comparison to the treatment given to rival clubs, which are also managed by the same fund.

Jorge Jesus only received one reinforcement to pursue the Saudi league title, Hayder Abdulkareem, a 21-year-old Iraqi midfielder. The transfer of Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal intensifies the controversy surrounding the country’s Public Investment Fund and the dissatisfaction of the Riyadh club.

Al Nassr has not won the Saudi league since the 2018/19 season, when it was led by Portuguese coach Rui Vitória. Seven years later, Jorge Jesus hopes to repeat his compatriot’s feat and put Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix back on the path to titles.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.