“There are no distractions” - Jorge Jesus says ‘no alcohol’ and ‘no nightlife’ in Saudi Arabia makes it perfect for Joao Felix to thrive at Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus outlined the main reason he felt Joao Felix could be successful with the club. The Portuguese manager insisted that the lack of distractions off the field could help the attacker find his footing easily in the Middle East.

Jesus initially spoke about his move to the club, saying (via Portuguese outlet O Jogo):

" He was on the transfer market, so he could come to Al Nassr, he could go to another team, depending on the conditions they offered him."

He continued:

"I believe in his football; he has characteristics that fit my offensive approach. Last year, I wanted to take him to Al Hilal, but he chose not to go; he chose to go to Chelsea. And this year, I invited him, practically when I signed, no, but I assumed he would coach Al Nassr. I invited him right away, and then it was only after a month or so that he was able to go.

Jesus stressed on how Felix isn't someone who consumes alcohol or goes to party a lot. However, the Al-Nassr coach admitted that like any other footballer, it is still a distraction nonetheless. Jesus believes that the lack of a nightlife in Saudi Arabia will ensure Felix focuses only on his game. He added:

"Saudi Arabia is a country where there's no alcohol, nor does he drink alcohol. There's no nightlife, not that he goes out at night either. There are no other distractions. There are no distractions, he goes to Saudi Arabia, he only has one option: to play and rest and be with friends and family. There's no other option."

Joao Felix was close to a return to Portugal with Benfica interested in the player but he eventually joined Cristiano Ronaldo's side. An initial fee of €30 million plus a further €20 million in add-ons was enough to secure his services, with Chelsea keen on offloading him.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix star as Al-Nassr grab easy win

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was in prime form, scoring a hat-trick to lead the side to a 4-0 win over Portuguese side Rio Ave in their penultimate pre-season clash. New summer signing Joao Felix was impressive too, grabbing a couple of assists in the victory.

Defender Mohamed Simakan opened the scoring in the first half before goals in the 44th, 63rd and 68th minutes from the 40-year-old superstar solidified the result for Al-Nassr.

Joao Felix will look to be a key addition for the side as they chase their first league triumph since Ronaldo's arrival. He has put pen-to-paper on a contract with Al-Nassr that runs until 2027, just like Ronaldo.