Al Duhail Head Coach Christophe Galtier described the team’s match versus Persepolis as difficult this evening, and the coach said in the post match press conference held: The confrontation was difficult for both teams, and both teams had the opportunity to score goals. It was more difficult for us when the penalty kick was awarded to Persepolis, which was missed and then we succeeded in scoring the second goal.
Galtier added: I know that we do not have a chance to qualify, but we played as if we were still in the qualification race, and before the match I asked the players to do their best in order to achieve victory. The atmosphere was very wonderful inside the stadium with the huge crowds that exceeded fifty thousand spectators who came to motivate their players, however we were the best mentally and tactically and achieved victory.
The coach continued: We did not include some distinguished and international players because we know that our team does not have a chance to qualify. We gave the opportunity to some young players such as Lotfi Madjer and Bamba, and this was necessary because we do not have time. There is league match waiting for us. We lost the last match in the league. We have a match in 4 days, and after that another match, and we have many injuries, which is why we included these young players in order to prove their abilities and have sufficient experience to participate in the remaining matches in the league.
Galtier said: We fell into a very difficult and strong group that included the strong team Al Nassr, which has many distinguished players. We did not start this tournament well and strong, and when you lose a match on your home field, things become very difficult. I do not know what would have happened if we had started the tournament well. What is important for me is to prove that my team is strong and can achieve victory, especially after our loss in the league. A strong reaction was necessary on the part of the players, and today, our players enjoyed football and succeeded in presenting themselves in a way that made me very happy.
The coach concluded: Everyone follows the Saudi League and watches the great players who have joined it, and certainly this matter can make a big difference at the league level, and it is possible that there will be a big difference between the Saudi clubs and the rest of the Asian clubs, but we have to work and try to compete with these teams in a way. In general, there are advantages to the presence of such players, whether for the fans or for the local players who play alongside them.
