When the Gaffe Becomes a Pivot: Jesus Rewrites Al Nassr’s Keeper Playbook
12 January 2026
Key moment: derby setback and managerial response
Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus reacted to Al Nassr's 3-1 loss to Al Hilal in the Riyadh derby by rethinking the goalkeeper situation.
Al Nassr played about 30 minutes with a man down after goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Qaidi was sent off, complicating the post-match assessment.
Transfer pause and the Bento decision
According to Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiya, Jesus temporarily halted the transfer of Brazilian goalkeeper Bento Matheus to Genoa, keeping the stopper in limbo for now.
Bento had been close to moving on due to limited playing time, but high-profile mistakes by Al-Qaidi against Qadisiyah and an on-pitch altercation with Hilal players prompted the coach to re-evaluate his options.
The report adds that Jesus will finalize whether Bento stays or if a replacement is brought in before the window closes.
In short, the keeper situation is up for grabs, and the bench could get a little busier while the dust settles – because in football life, the clock is always ticking and the coffee budget is never big enough for two keepers with anxiety issues.
Punchline: If Bento survives this scrutiny, the fans might call it a miracle; if he doesn't, at least the locker room will have a new story to tell at the next training camp. Punchline 2: The only thing more dramatic than a Riyadh derby is a transfer saga paused mid-sentence—stay tuned for the sequel, preferably with fewer red cards and more saves.
