Frenchman Christophe Galtier, manager of Neom FC, expressed his deep disappointment and anger following his team's loss to Al-Fateh in the 14th round of the Saudi Professional League. The veteran coach made his remarks during the post-match press conference, where he didn't hesitate to harshly criticize his players' performance, describing the first half as "catastrophic.".
Two different faces of one team
In his analysis of the match, the former Paris Saint-Germain coach pointed out that his team displayed two completely contrasting faces during the ninety minutes. Galtier said sharply, "We played two different matches tonight; the first half was a complete disaster from our players. It felt like watching a friendly, not a competitive league match." The French coach emphasized an important football principle regarding the necessity of respecting the opponent, indicating that the lack of this respect and seriousness directly led to this negative result, especially since the opponent capitalized on the few opportunities they had.
A late awakening and bad luck
Regarding the second half, Galtier explained that the team tried to turn things around, saying, "The situation changed in the second half. We attacked and pressed hard, putting in a tremendous effort both with and without the ball." The coach then detailed the team's ultimately unsuccessful comeback, pointing to the bad luck that plagued them. He noted that Nyom had two goals disallowed for offside, and that a shot from Algerian star Saïd Benrahma rebounded off the post, denying the team an equalizer.
Competition context and lessons learned
This loss comes at a time when NEOM FC is striving to establish itself as a rising force in Saudi football, bolstered by international players and a top-level coaching staff led by Galtier. Saudi league matches are currently of paramount importance due to the significant improvement in the level of competition and the influx of international talent, making any dropped points extremely costly in the title race.
Galtier concluded his remarks with a harsh lesson for his players, emphasizing that despite dominating duels at times during the match, football only recognizes consistency. He stated, "You can't play a match at the same pace from beginning to end, and this is a lesson I hope the players will learn from in the future." The coaching staff is expected to work in the coming days to correct the mental and technical errors to ensure that the first-half scenario is not repeated in future matches.
