JEDDAH: Al-Nassr’s head coach Luis Castro has emphasized the importance of the King Salman Club Cup ahead of his side’s clash on Monday against Union Monastir of Tunisia in group three.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, he said: “We are in a very important tournament for us. When the tournament is short, all matches are of the same importance.
“Tomorrow’s match is very important to us. In the last match we could not achieve our goal, which is to win, and this makes the responsibility greater for us in tomorrow’s match to achieve the three points.”
The Portuguese coach added: “The team stands by the players who are available and ready, and all we are working on is to equip our team in the best way.
“It is true that we did not participate with one team in the last period, because the pressure of the matches made us change the names. We as coaches always think about the full group, and during the preparation for the season we look for the right combination.”
He added that he forgave his players for any errors they may have committed in the previous match against Al-Shabab.
He said: “Players are human beings, not machines. In Japan we played two matches in three days and we flew for 12 hours and arrived in Taif in the early morning and played our first match the same day.”
Meanwhile, Brazilian full-back Alex Telles, who left Manchester United to join Al-Nassr, faced the Saudi media for the first time.
He said: “It is not only an important match for the club, but for us as players too. In tomorrow’s match we will do our best to show our preparation for the new season.”
Asked about his move to Al-Nassr, the 30-year-old, who won the Europa League last season while on loan at Sevilla, said: “I received many offers but, eventually, I selected Al-Nassr’s offer because I am a player who loves a challenge. Al-Nassr has a mission to accomplish and I am glad to be part of this challenge.”
