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Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr Part Ways with Coach Castro 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr Part Ways with Coach Castro 

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Fayah v Al-Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - August 27, 2024 Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro reacts. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al-Nassr announced the departure of Portuguese coach Luis Castro on Tuesday, a day after starting their AFC Champions League Elite campaign with a disappointing draw.

Monday's 1-1 stalemate with Iraq's Al-Shorta in the Asian competition compounded a slow start to the domestic season with the current contract of Ronaldo, 39, due to expire next summer.

"Al-Nassr can announce that head coach Luis Castro has left the club," said a statement posted on X.

"Everyone at Al-Nassr would like to thank Luis and his staff for their dedicated work during the past 14 months, wishing them the best of luck for the future."

Castro, 63, is the third coach to depart Al-Nassr since Ronaldo's groundbreaking arrival in early 2023.

Frenchman Rudi Garcia quickly left that April, followed by a brief stint by Croatian coach Dinko Jelicic before Castro was appointed in July last year.

Al-Nassr, who finished a distant second in the last Saudi Pro League season, have drawn twice in three matches at the start of the new campaign.

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Cesc Fabregas’ Como Gets 1st Serie A Win in More than 21 Years

Como's Cesc Fabregas smiles following the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Como at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 24 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Como's Cesc Fabregas smiles following the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Como at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 24 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
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Cesc Fabregas’ Como Gets 1st Serie A Win in More than 21 Years

Como's Cesc Fabregas smiles following the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Como at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 24 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Como's Cesc Fabregas smiles following the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Como at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 24 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Como got its first Serie A win in more than 21 years as Cesc Fabregas’ team won 3-2 at Atalanta in a rescheduled match on Tuesday.

Delightful second-half goals from Gabriel Strefezza and Alieu Fadera, as well as an own goal from Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac saw newly promoted Como fight back for its first win in the Italian top flight since May 2003.

It was a third defeat of the season for Atalanta, which drew 0-0 against Arsenal in the Champions League last week.

The match — which was a local derby — was originally meant to take place on Monday night but had to be postponed by 24 hours due to heavy rains in Bergamo and a waterlogged pitch.

Atalanta took the lead in the 18th minute when a corner was headed out but only as far as Davide Zappacosta, who volleyed into the bottom left corner from just outside the area.

However, Como got more into the match and managed to level just 20 seconds into the second half with a well-worked move as Sergi Roberto backheeled a pass from Ignace Van der Brempt into the path of Strefezza and he fired into the far bottom corner.

Como turned things around completely in the 54th minute, albeit with a large slice of fortune when Nicolás Paz’s strike was deflected off Kolasinac to completely wrongfoot Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts four minutes later as Fadera latched onto a long ball over the top from Paz and turned Atalanta captain Marten de Roon inside out before firing into the far bottom corner.

Ademola Lookman converted a penalty for Atalanta with the last kick of the match after Alberto Dossena had fouled Vanja Vlahović deep in stoppage time.