Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier spoke to the media ahead of their 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League Week 12 match against Qatar SC.

“We have some injuries for our international players such as Sultan Al Breik and Mohammed Ayash during their participation with the national team in the Gulf Cup.

“The second leg will be a new beginning for the league and requires teams with a long breath. Of course, we must focus and provide the same level we provided in the first leg despite the loss we suffered against Al Khor.

“We have greater chances of winning when we impose our style on the field and we must deal seriously with all matches. In any match we play, we must be fully focused with the narrow gap between the competitors.

“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 international players, we worked extensively on the physical aspect in order to restore the players to their usual levels, which is the most important factor before the upcoming competitions.

“There are players who underwent surgeries and will be absent from the team for a long time, and we currently have only four defenders, which is of course worrying, so I spoke with the club’s vice president to determine the features of the next stage. Of course, I hope to sign at least one defender due to the team’s upcoming local obligations and we will see what can happen in the coming days,” said Galtier.

Al Duhail player Ibrahima Diallo said, “The beginning of the second leg is considered as the beginning of a new championship for us and we have to focus and work very seriously. We worked well on the level of physical readiness so that we are fully prepared for the upcoming matches.

“Our preparations are going on well with full commitment to the technical staff’s instructions and we always try to be fully focused and cohesive on the field in order to maintain our advantage that the technical director indicated.”