In the pre-match press conference held at Al Duhail Sports Club, the Head Coach of the first football team at Al Duhail Club, the Frenchman Christophe Galtier, expressed his players’ readiness for the upcoming match versus Qatar as part of Round 12 and the beginning of the second leg of the Ooredoo Stars League.
Galtier began his statements by saying: Unfortunately, we have some injuries among our international players, such as Sultan Al Brake and Mohamed Ayash, during their participation with the national team in the Gulf Cup. We have a short period of time to prepare for the return of the league, approximately 9 days before the upcoming match versus Qatar, but I am happy with the players’ commitment and seriousness during training.
Galtier added: “The second round will be like a new beginning for the league and requires teams with great endurance. Of course, we must focus and present the same level that we demonstrated in the first leg, despite the loss we suffered to Al Khor.
Galtier continued: We have greater chances of winning when we impose our style on the field, and we must deal seriously with all matches. Any match we play, we must be fully focused with the narrow difference between the competitors, and we must also work at the same level of ambition as the management of Al Duhail Club in order to compete and achieve titles.
Galtier resumed his statements by saying: I think we needed a suitable break to assess the level of all players and correct the mistakes we made in the first leg. After the return of the international players, we worked on the physical aspect a lot in order for the players to regain their usual levels, which is the most important factor before the upcoming competitions.
He then added: There are players from the team who underwent surgery and will be absent from the team for a long time, and we currently have only 4 defenders, which is of course a worrying thing, so I spoke with the vice president of the club to determine the features of the next stage. Of course, I hope to sign at least one defender due to the upcoming commitments of the team locally, and we will see what can happen in the coming days.
Galtier concluded: Everyone knows why the QSL Cup was launched, and the main purpose is to allow young players to participate in matches and prepare them. When we participated in the tournament, our determination was clear to win this cup, and we carried out a process of integration between experienced players in addition to some young players who did not disappoint me, especially in the semifinal and final matches, with full and clear support from the experienced players for their young colleagues, it is natural for us to be happy with the title as it is first and last a title added to the club, but as I emphasized, I am happy with the remarkable level presented by the young players during our journey towards the title.
