How Jesus' RSL return at Al Nassr will fuel Capital Derby fire

In case the Capital Derby between fierce rivals Al Hilal and Al Nassr needed any more spice, enter Jorge Jesus.

Across two spells with the blue half of Riyadh, the Portuguese manager has become synonymous with Al Hilal, often a key protagonist in the battles between the two sides.

And, only 73 days after parting ways with Al Hilal, Jesus is back in Riyadh. Only thing is, this time he’s in Al Nassr yellow.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Roshn Saudi League season, when all eyes will be drawn to that first Capital Derby and the first meeting of Jesus versus Al Hilal.

The appointment is a shrewd - and antagonistic - one from Al Nassr as they look to break the stranglehold of their great city foes and Al Ittihad on the RSL, with the two giant clubs capturing all of the past six league titles between them.

The last side to win the league that wasn’t Al Hilal or Al Ittihad was, in fact, Al Nassr back in 2018-19. But that drought of six seasons is far too long for a club of their standing, particularly one with the greatest player of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, on their books.

By signing Jesus, Al Nassr are making clear their intentions.

It may always be the case, but this season especially is all about winning, and they appear determined to leave no stone unturned to achieve that - even if it means employing a head coach with a robust, and all-too-recent, connection to their local rivals.

Few managers come close to Jesus for his record in Saudi football. He guided Al Hilal to the 2023-24 RSL title in record-breaking fashion, and was later named the competition's Manager of the Season.

Across two stints with Al Hilal, and across all competitions, he has a winning percentage of almost 78 percent, winning 101 of 130 games. He tasted defeat a mere 11 times.

Focusing only on RSL results, Jesus lost a paltry six of 85 matches across two-and-a-half seasons in the Al Hilal dugout, while his time in both Portugal and Türkyie was almost equally as successful, with a winning percentage above 60 percent in both countries.

It’s a phenomenal record whichever way you look at it. Undoubtedly, it will instantly make Al Nassr a more feared commodity in the 2025-26 RSL - and that’s deepened because of Jesus’ aura on the sidelines.

When you combine that with his tactical nous and man management, there’s little wonder Al Nassr wasted little time in bringing him in, even given his powerful link to their bitter rivals. Winning, as it often does in football, trumps it all.

Upon travelling back to Riyadh, Jesus told gathered media in Portugal about Ronaldo's influence in his appointment.

“Without his invitation, I certainly wouldn't be there," he said. "The motivation will be great. I'm going to try to ensure that Al Nassr, which is one of the best clubs in Saudi Arabia, can win titles.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who has always won everything he's played for. He hasn't won in Saudi Arabia yet. I'll see if I can help him.”

As eye-opening as Jesus’ appointment will be in some sections of both fan bases, his crossing of the Riyadh divide is far from unique. Although, it is rare.

Considering the entire history of the two clubs, which dates to the late 1950s, only five managers have dared traverse the capital divide, the last of which was also Portuguese and was also named Jorge.

That was Artur Jorge, who not only played against Jorge Jesus in their playing days in Portugal when Artur was with Benfica and Jesus was with Sporting CP, but also shared a dressing room for a season in the mid-1970s at Belenenses.

Artur first took charge of Al Nassr at the turn of the century, during the 2000-01 season, losing the final of the play-offs that season to Al Ittihad. Not long after he swapped yellow for blue, and went one better, leading Al Hilal to the league title and the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup, as well.

That it has been almost a quarter of a century since it last happened, and occured only five times in almost seven decades - the other four being Hasan Sultan, Ljubisa Brocic, Joel Santana, and Ilie Balaci - shows how deep those Riyadh divisions run.

Jesus built a revered reputation and legacy at Al Hilal but is seemingly prepared to put that on the line to achieve even more success on the other side of the Saudi capital. For a manager who likes to be aggressive, on and off the pitch, it’s very much his style.

Should Jesus deliver what Al Nassr crave, he will create history as the first manager to capture the RSL with both clubs.

No matter what, however, you can be sure of one thing: in Riyadh, things are about to heat up even more.