Discipline in the Spotlight: Al-Nassr’s Jorge Jesus Suspends a Star and Drops Three

Strict Disciplinary Action

According to sports reports, Jorge Jesus, the Portuguese coach of Al-Nassr, imposed a disciplinary sanction on young Brazilian forward Wesley Texeira after he completed his duties with Brazil at the 2025 World Cup U-20, which ended early Monday in Chile.

Al-Nassr are gearing up for a tough clash with Al-Fath on Saturday evening at the Al-Nassr Park in Riyadh, as the fifth round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League unfolds, with the aim of extending their lead and winning for a fifth straight time.

Reportedly, the Saudi daily Al-Riyadiyah noted that Jesus required Texeira to shed his excess weight upon returning from international duty, after the coaching staff spotted about a two-kilogram gain, which was viewed as a clear breach of the fitness and discipline program in place since the season’s start.

The paper also indicated that Jesus decided to strip the forward of the general break granted to all players after the friendly against Diriyah last Tuesday during the international window, forcing the 20-year-old to remain at the club to follow a strict fitness and nutrition plan.

Return from the World Cup and Squad Changes

According to the report, Jesus agreed with the fitness coach and the nutrition manager on a plan aimed at shedding three kilograms in a short period to ensure the player's readiness for upcoming official matches.

This move is described as part of Jesus' strict discipline policy within the squad, intended to maintain peak readiness amid a congested schedule of domestic and continental games this month.

As part of his tactical decisions, the Portuguese coach left Wesley Texeira, Brazilian goalkeeper Bento, plus local players Awad Aman and Nader Al-Shari out of the squad for the Al-Fath game, choosing the most physically and mentally ready options instead.

A Packed October and Historical Context

Texeira had recently returned to Al-Nassr training after a break with Brazil’s under-20 team at the youth World Cup, where he started two games and came on as a substitute in another before Brazil exited at the group stage.

The player rejoined the national team camp on September 25, missing Al-Nassr during the international window, before resurfacing in team training last Saturday, as shown by the club’s official X account, with footage of him in group sessions under the coaching staff.

Texeira joined Al-Nassr in the summer of 2024 from Corinthians in a move described as a future investment given his youth and skill, but he has yet to deliver the expected impact, recording 3 goals and as many assists in 26 appearances across all competitions.

Al-Nassr currently sit atop the Roshen Saudi League with 12 points from four games after a valuable 2-0 win over Al-Ittihad, extending their lead over rivals. Jesus recognizes the importance of maintaining discipline ahead of a crowded October, with a batch of challenging fixtures including an AFC Champions League match against Goa on October 22, a league game against Haws on October 25, a King’s Cup Round of 16 on October 28, and a clash with Al-Fayha on October 30, in what the club calls the season’s busiest phase.

Analytics site Opta notes that Al-Nassr have 12 home wins against Al-Fath in Saudi Pro League history, the highest home win tally against any opponent, tied with Taawon.

Should they win tonight, Al-Fath would become the side with the most losses to Al-Nassr at home in league history.

Across 32 meetings in the league, Al-Nassr have won 19, Al-Fath four, with nine draws; Al-Nassr have scored 64 goals and conceded 30.

Al-Nassr currently boast the league’s best attack with 14 goals in four games, while Al-Fath sit 16th with a single point, setting up a match that could underline the global team’s dominance in both offense and standings.

Caption: Wesley Texeira returns to training amid a discipline-driven push by Jorge Jesus.

Punchline 1: If discipline were a gun, Jesus would be the sniper who never misses a shot at the scale.

Punchline 2: In football, the only thing sharper than a striker is a coach with a weight loss plan that actually plans to win a trophy by the end of the month.