During the press conference preceding the match versus Al Arabi in the Ooredoo Stars League, Al Duhail Head Coach, the Frenchman Christophe Galtier expressed his disappointment and shock following the team loss to Al Shamal, which resulted in the league lead being lost to Al Sadd.
Galtier opened his remarks by saying: I talked a lot about the last match, which was a huge shock to everyone here. We didn’t expect the team to perform this poorly. Everyone asked for an explanation for what happened, but sometimes you can’t find an explanation for what happens. I never imagined my team could perform at this level.
He then added: Everyone believes Al Sadd will win the league. Of course, anything is possible, and Al Sadd is at the top of the league, but nothing is guaranteed yet. Certainly, Al Sadd could stumble like we did, and the league balance could tip.
Galtier continued: We couldn’t handle the pressure when we were the better side. I can’t believe the players weren’t excited about facing Al Shamal, but I think the intense pressure while we were in the lead was a major factor in the way we performed during the match. I expect a strong response from the local players, as well as the team captains and professionals. I’m delivering my message through this conference to the players, and I’ll also tell them in the locker room: Al Shamal match was the biggest disappointment of my entire coaching career.
Galtier went on: Our fate is no longer in our own hands now, with the loss and Al Sadd leading the league. I don’t have much to say about this loss. We conceded two goals against Al Shamal in just seven minutes due to two clear defensive errors. After that, I think the game stalled in the players’ minds. Unfortunately, not everyone realized that the match lasted a full 90 minutes and could have gone on longer. The players unfortunately didn’t react. I noticed this on the pitch, and that made me wonder: What’s going on in the players’ minds?
Galtier concluded: Believe me, the players know that I am angry and I am convinced that they did not intend to lose, but the pressure got the better of them, and this is confusing to me, because we have experienced players. We were not playing to avoid relegation, but rather to win the title. This kind of pressure should be positive. However, we did not handle it well.
