French coach Christopher Galtier, manager of Neom FC, directly and frankly addressed the anger displayed by the team's captain, veteran star Salman Al-Faraj, after he was substituted and left the field during the match against Al-Riyadh. This match was part of the 21st round of the Roshan Professional League, held at King Khalid Sports City Stadium, and ended in a valuable victory for Neom.

In the post-match press conference, Galtier downplayed the incident, placing it within the context of normal football emotions. The French coach said, "What Salman Al-Faraj did is perfectly normal in football; great players always want to be on the pitch. My decision was purely tactical; I wanted to bring on more dynamic and energetic players in midfield to ensure control during the crucial final minutes.".

The former Paris Saint-Germain coach explained the tactical reasons for the substitution: "The decision was based on the players' performances during the match. Salman Al-Faraj and his teammate Amadou weren't posing the necessary attacking threat to Al-Riyadh's goal, which necessitated a change to revitalize the team." Galtier indicated that he had warned Al-Faraj and Amadou about their lack of attacking threat during the game, emphasizing that he would discuss the matter calmly with the players during upcoming training sessions to ensure team stability.

This incident comes at a time when NEOM FC is striving to establish itself as a major force in the Saudi League, benefiting from the vast experience of Salman Al-Faraj, the former captain of the Saudi national team and Al-Hilal. Al-Faraj is known for his intense passion and dedication to the team, which explains his angry reaction—a characteristic often found in players with a strong desire to win.

From a technical standpoint, Galtier's approach reflects the tactical discipline of the French coach, who prioritizes the team's collective interest above any individual considerations—an approach that has helped the team achieve positive results this season. The course of the match proved the coach's vision correct, as Neom secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from international star Alexandre Lacazette. This win extends the team's winning streak and strengthens their position in the Roshan League standings, confirming that Neom's sporting project is on the right track towards competing for titles.

Uruguayan Daniel Carreño, the head coach of Al-Riyadh's first football team, made important statements after his team's match against Neom, which resulted in Al-Riyadh's loss in the match that brought them together as part of the twenty-first round of the Saudi Professional League, at King Khalid Sports City Stadium.

Technical analysis of the first half

In the post-match press conference, Carreño provided a detailed technical analysis of the game, noting that the first half was characterized by competitiveness and relative parity between the two sides. The experienced coach explained that Neom successfully imposed their style of play by dominating possession and controlling the midfield, which gave them a numerical advantage at certain points in the match.

Carreño added: "Despite Neom's dominance, we succeeded in implementing a good defensive organization, and our strategy relied on quick counter-attacks to exploit the spaces behind the opponent's defenses, but unfortunately we were unable to take advantage of the opportunities that were available to us in the required manner to translate them into goals.".

The turning point and the goalkeepers' brilliance

The Riyadh coach addressed the second half, which saw Neom take the lead with the winning goal, emphasizing that his team tried to equalize. He said, "In the second half, the opponent managed to score, and despite our continuous efforts and creating several clear scoring opportunities, the brilliance of Neom's goalkeeper prevented us from doing so, as he saved more than one dangerous shot that could have changed the course of the match.".

Competition context of the Roshan League

This match comes at a time of intense competition in the second half of the Saudi Professional League season, with mid-table teams like Al-Riyadh striving to secure their positions and avoid relegation. This loss is a setback for the "Central School" (Al-Riyadh's nickname), who are trying to maintain consistent performances under the guidance of coach Carreno, known for his extensive experience in Saudi football and his tactical discipline.

Daniel Carreño is known for his style, which blends defensive discipline with a high fighting spirit ("grinta"), a quality clearly demonstrated by Al-Riyadh's defense's resilience throughout much of the match against Neom's relentless pressure. The crucial rounds of the league serve as a true test of a coach's ability to handle pressure and quickly turn things around.

Cariño concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the team will analyze the mistakes made during the Neom match and seek to continue developing and improving in the upcoming rounds, stressing that the league is still long and that the team has the potential to return to winning ways.

Saad Al-Shehri, the national technical director of Al-Ettifaq, expressed his immense happiness and pride in his team's valuable victory over Damac in their match in the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League. This win confirms Al-Ettifaq's ambition to improve their position in the standings and return to winning ways.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Al-Shehri emphasized that the match was far from easy, noting the significant improvement in Damac's performance. He said, "We played a very difficult match, but thanks to God and the players' efforts, we managed to win and secure three crucial points. The match was challenging for us, especially since Damac has changed considerably and their performance has noticeably improved after their recent shrewd winter signings.".

Al-Shehri addressed the tactical aspects that decided the match, explaining: "We successfully dealt intelligently with Damac's style of play, focusing on closing down spaces and preventing them from building dangerous attacks throughout the game." He added optimistically: "The future will be better, God willing. Victory is a gradual process of improvement over time, and our constant goal is to achieve victories in every match to elevate Al-Ettifaq to a position befitting the club's rich history and its loyal fans.".

In a related context, the importance of this victory stems from the intense competition in the Saudi League this season, where mid-table clubs are striving to secure comfortable positions and avoid relegation, making every point doubly valuable. Al-Shehri pointed to the physical challenges the team faced, saying, "We played just two days ago, which caused fatigue among the players, but we now have relatively more time to prepare for the upcoming big match against Al-Hilal," reflecting his awareness of the demanding schedule and the importance of recovery before facing the league leaders or their direct rivals.

The national team coach concluded his remarks by praising Egyptian striker Ahmed Hassan Kouka, explaining his lack of goals in this match by citing his previous circumstances, saying: "Ahmed Hassan Kouka hasn't played with us for a long time, and this is one of the reasons he didn't score any goals during today's match. However, he played a good match tactically and helped the team with his movements. With more matches in the coming period, he will certainly perform better, as he is a great player who needs no introduction and possesses international experience that will benefit the team.".