What Gallardo said after Al Ittihad’s defeat and amid the rumors about his departure :: Olé

Marcelo Gallardo’s Al Ittihad fell 3-1 against Al Shabab this Friday afternoon, within the framework of the 29th round of the Saudi Professional League. Important defeat for those of the Doll, because it keeps them away from qualifying for the next Asian Champions League. And furthermore, hours before the match, it was rumored that the Argentine could leave once the campaign ended. But, What did he say post-defeat and in the midst of that context?

“As a coach, I refuse to criticize a specific player. I apologize to the fans for the defeat against Al Shabab. Today I played with the best formation according to the elements I had and I wanted to win. “We will put all our strength this month to make the team look better,” Gallardo expressed at the start of the press conference.

“I understand the great frustration that came from not winning against Al-Shabab. “We didn’t do well in the first half and the small details decided the game,” added the Doll.

Once again, he made it clear that the duel was defined by “small details” and that he put together the team considering the losses he had: “When I decide I analyze the decision and then we play the game. And with the characteristics of the players we have we decide the game plan. “Today the game was decided in small details and I played with this formation given the circumstances and the injuries.”

Then, without delving into the rumors, he only made it clear that he will be able to analyze the defeat cold and that, at the end of the season, the entire situation: “When we calm down we will analyze the game better and, once the season is over, we will analyze the situation in general.”

“We are in an important moment at the end of the season, it will be easy to talk about the circumstances we went through or the future. Currently, the only way we have is a sense of responsibility. I will not disappoint the public with anything. “We are in a stage of frustration and we must complete the season in the best possible way,” Gallardo said.

Finally, the coach also spoke about the absences of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, two of his figures, who were not present due to injuries: “The absence of (Karim) Benzema is due to muscle inflammation, according to the medical examination “And the absence of (N’Golo) Kanté is one of the difficulties we are going through and we must monitor his state of preparation daily to determine whether or not he will participate in the classic (against Al Hilal).”

Although there were versions that assured the removal of the Doll, the consultations of Ole With the Saudi press they assured that this is an advance reading. Mahmoud Wehbe, a journalist with the Arriyadiyah newspaper and website, explained that The leadership did not make that decision and that if the team finally gets a place in the highest continental tournament, Muñeco will continue in office.

The Muñeco team has five days left to try to stay in third place and save qualification for the Champions League, along with the coach’s position. With their competitors still to play, Gallardo’s men are in fifth position with 50 units, two less than third and one less than fourth; He still has to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, who is second, on the last date.

In the middle, Al Ittihad will face not only a classic on the pitch but also on the bench. The Tigres will face Al-Hilal for the King’s Cup and the record is in favor of the blues: Gallardo’s team has not beaten them in 11 games and they have also won six consecutive games.

The detail? Al-Hilal is directed by Jorge Jesus, a coach whom El Muñeco was never able to defeat and who has a great streak of eliminations against him. The Portuguese was the coach of Flamengo in the final that beat Millonario 2-1 in Lima and, since his arrival in Arabia, he has already won two cup matches: he eliminated them from the Champions League and won the Arabian Super Cup with a crushing 4 to 1.