Castro: CR7's 'invisible training' is the secret of legend's longevity at Nassr

Luis Castro’s long career began in Portugal’s fourth division and has seen him rise to become one of the most accomplished coaches in world football. Football has taken the Portuguese to four different countries, winning trophies in all four of them.

He was the first man to win Portugal's second tier with a B team, finished sixth with little Chaves and took Vitoria Guimaraes into Europe. Castro then won the title in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk before embarking on a new adventure in South America.

When he left Botafogo in 2023, the Brazilian club were seven points clear at the top of the table and he finished that calendar year as the coach with the most wins in world football over the past 12 months - there were 51 of them, four clear of Pep Guardiola.

All of which is a rather long-winded way of saying that, for all this, Castro knows by now the first question that is coming his way. That is because his most recent appointment was in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr. So, what exactly is it like coaching Cristiano Ronaldo?

"Very easy," Castro tells Sky Sports. "Working with the best in the world is truly enjoyable. 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."

Al Nassr won the Arab Club Champions Cup under Castro, the victory coming after extra-time courtesy of two goals by you know who. In total, Ronaldo scored 55 goals in 55 games under his management. "We shared some great moments together."

Does Castro have any special insight into how it is that Ronaldo continues to pummel goals for club and country even after turning 40? "What set his apart is what happens before and after training - the so called 'invisible training' that he does," he explains.

"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."

Did it inspire others? "Of course," he replies. "Every positive example helps us grow. Our parents, our friends." Did he learn from Ronaldo as well? "Coaches learn from players. Anyone who thinks they know everything becomes stuck. It is a very limiting mindset."

Given that Erik ten Hag saw no role for Ronaldo at Manchester United, in part because of the player's inability or unwillingness to press from the front, one wonders what exactly he makes of that decision. "We look at each player and we adjust things," he explains.

"We adjust according to their identity. That is exactly what I do - with Cristiano and with everyone else. That is my duty as a leader, as a coach. Our job means we have to look at the group of players and get the most out of them as a team. I have no doubt about that.

"That is why we need to find a system that enhances the players that we have. I cannot stick rigidly to a tactical system and refuse to change. I cannot just go to the end with my idea, no matter what, because that would lead to failure and disaster."

It is interesting to hear a coach of such experience talk about the need to adapt his ideas. At the age of 63, Castro is still making those adjustments - because the game demands it. "Football has evolved and not only the tactical systems," he acknowledges.

"Science has become intertwined with the game. The media are much more active. Player representation has changed. Coaching staffs have increased significantly in number and their areas of expertise. We all have to adapt to match this evolution.

"The intensity has increased, which has forced us to change our training methodologies and focus more on player recovery. We had to evolve in the tools we use and become much more comprehensive and knowledgeable about everything that surrounds us.

"A coach must be much more strategic now. In the past, coaches could be known for their tactical system. Today, I have to give my team the versatility to understand multiple systems, to make faster decisions because there is less and less room for hesitation.

"Today, it is about reading the game, solving situations. We create exercises to address these tactical changes and respond to the tactical shifts during a game, to overcome those challenges posed by the opponent and to put the opposition in difficulty too."

In Castro's view, this represents a major change in how coaches need to approach football. "Training sessions are much richer now. There has been a radical shift in how we look at training and how we prepare players for the various phases of a game."

Some developments he is not so fond of. He has spoken of how youngsters are more focused on the individual than the team, but he stops short of suggesting it is a problem. "It does require constant reminders about what teamwork should be," he says.

"But through good communication, the players always end up understanding and following the team path. We, as coaches, also need to recognise that the individualistic players remain assets. It is the job of the coach to connect them to the team."

The appetite remains - Castro describes doing that as "fantastic" - and Portuguese coaches are proving better at it than most. There are three of them working in the Premier League at present - Ruben Amorim, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Marco Silva.

"The Premier League is the biggest showcase in world football. It is the best league in the world and has the best professionals working in it so I have no doubt that if they are there, it is because they are of excellent quality, taking a successful path to get there.

"I do not really like distinguishing coaches by nationality as quality has no nationality. But I can speak about our coaching school because it has managed to combine scientific knowledge, academic background, and the other experiences of football perfectly.

"Many of us Portuguese coaches worked in academies, which helped us to understand younger players - development programs, methodologies, and all the factors that shape a player's identity. It is about how we put individual talent into the service of the team."

A lesson that Luis Castro learned with Cristiano Ronaldo.