Al Duhail First Football Team Head Coach the Frenchman Christophe Galtier expressed his hope that a miracle would happen and that the team would return to the top of the league standing table in the final round and win the title. This came during the press conference preceding their match versus Al Khor in the Ooredoo Stars League.
Galtier began his statements by saying: Our recent difficult victory over Al Arabi gave us a morale boost and some hope before the final round, despite the physical difficulties we faced. The players had good preparations before facing Al Khor, and we didn’t train yesterday due to the weather conditions. The chances are very slim, and as I told the players, we must win first and wait for the result of the Al Sadd versus Al Ahli match, and everything is possible in football.
He then added: Anything is possible in football, whether it’s a win, a draw, or a loss; these are the results of football. If Al Ahli defeats Al Sadd and we achieve victory over Al Khor, we will win the league and be champions. But as I mentioned, we must first overcome Al Khor and then think about the other match. If we win the title, we certainly deserve it, and if Al Sadd does, they also deserve it. The players must realize that they have a chance to be crowned champions.
Galtier continued: Our chances of winning the league do not exceed ten percent, and I only hope that Al Ahli puts in a good performance, just as Al Shamal and Al Arabi did against us, putting in serious matches despite having nothing at stake. I hope Al Ahli puts up a real fight, and then we will wait and see what happens. Yes, the chances are slim, but they exist. I have worked in coaching for about 15 or 16 years, and at the end of the league, if you are in second place, it means we were not able to win the title. Certainly, there is some regret over the results of matches like the losses to Al Shahania, Al Shamal, or Al Khor, nevertheless Al Sadd also lost matches to teams they were strongly favored to beat. The league has been very close between two big teams, and the champions in the end will be the one who deserves the title.
Galtier concluded: We started the league well, unlike the second half, where we declined, and Al Sadd regained their brilliance and is competing in the AFC Champions League. They have a larger squad and can replace injured players, and with the continuation of the league matches, the team became more prepared for the matches, which is what made them advance in the league. We are all disappointed after leading for 19 rounds, but if we finish the season in second place, I would say it’s a good ending, not the end of the world. And I repeat, whoever wins the league deserves to win this title.
