The Frenchman Christophe Galtier, coach of Neom, sparked widespread controversy with his statements before the anticipated match against Al-Ittihad, as part of the Roshan Saudi League competition, highlighting the opponent's weaknesses.

During the press conference, Galtier confirmed that the Al-Ittihad team was clearly affected on a technical level after the departure of the French duo Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, considering their absence to have left a significant gap within the team.

Neom's coach explained that Al-Ittihad is still a major team with high ambitions, noting that its players had sufficient rest before the match, which makes the encounter strong between the two sides.

He added that the absence of some names like Youssef En-Nesyri and Moussa Diaby, if confirmed, could increase the difficulty of the Union's task, but he emphasized that the match would not be easy for either side.

Galtier spoke about his team, revealing the absence of striker Alexandre Lacazette due to injury, as well as Nathan Zizi due to suspension, which imposes additional challenges on his lineup.

He concluded his remarks by affirming his team's readiness to compensate for the absences, with the return of some players like Khalifa Al-Dosari, in an attempt to achieve a positive result against Al-Ittihad.

The Neom team holds the eighth position in the Saudi Roshan League standings with 36 points, while Al-Ittihad aims to improve its position amid fierce competition this season.