Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo, manager of Al-Ittihad, expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the 1-1 draw his team achieved against Al-Fateh at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium, in the 19th round of the Saudi Professional League. Gallardo described the result as "unfair," asserting that his team deserved all three points.
Match details and Gallardo's statements
In the post-match press conference, Gallardo stated, “We controlled the game until extra time. The goal came outside of extra time, and we deserved to win based on the players' performance. Football was unfair today.” The Argentinian coach added, “We lacked the final touch. The most important thing was creating chances and reaching the opponent's goal, which we succeeded in doing throughout the match.” Gallardo pointed to the difficulty of playing at Al-Fateh's home ground, citing the struggles of other teams, saying, “Al-Ahli struggled at the same stadium against Al-Fateh,” indicating Al-Fateh's strength at home and their ability to trouble even the top teams.
General context and impact of the result on the Union's journey
This draw adds to the pressure on Al-Ittihad, the reigning league champions, who have been struggling with inconsistent results this season. Following a string of disappointing performances that led to the dismissal of former coach Nuno Santo, Gallardo took over with high hopes of getting the team back on track. Despite a relative improvement in performance, dropping two points in the title race is a blow to Al-Ittihad's ambitions to defend their crown, especially given the strong form of league leaders Al-Hilal. This draw widens the gap with the top teams, making the title challenge even more difficult.
A forward-looking perspective and promises of improvement
Despite the disappointment, Gallardo concluded his remarks on an optimistic note, asserting that the coming period would witness a marked improvement and a strong return to winning ways for Al-Ittihad. He stated that work is ongoing to rectify mistakes, particularly regarding attacking efficiency and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Al-Ittihad fans are eagerly anticipating that the coach's promises will translate into positive results on the pitch, restoring the team's prestige and enabling them to compete strongly on all domestic and continental fronts, especially given the team's roster of international and local stars.
