French coach Christophe Galtier, the head coach of Neom Saudi Arabia, confirmed that the preparations during the international break for the match against Qadisiyah were not ideal.

Neom will face Qadisiyah next Sunday in the fifth round of the Saudi Professional League.

Galtier said in the pre-match press conference: "The preparations were not easy; the absence of international players affected the overall rhythm, but this is part of the reality of football. Personally, I do not like long breaks, but it is something we have to accept. In the last two days, we started serious work in preparation for facing a strong team that has not lost yet and is in second place, which is Qadisiyah that has outstanding players and plays fast and organized football. Our goal is to achieve victory and collect the three points, but we must show a better level than what we presented in the past matches."

He added: "We conceded two goals in the last match, and when that happens in every match, it becomes difficult to compete. I do not hold the defense solely responsible, but the entire group; because we cannot score three goals in every match to compensate for mistakes. The Riyadh match was open for us offensively, but what concerns me is the continuous conceding of goals, which is something that needs to stop if we want to progress."

Regarding the team's ambitions this season, Galtier said: "We are not yet ready to compete for the league or to be among the top five, and perhaps the management does not agree with me on this opinion, but we are working on a new project that includes a young group that needs time and confidence without pressure. We will fight in every match to present good football and achieve results that match the club's ambitions."