News Focus
- Strasbourg’s European hopes end after a 1-1 draw with SCO Angers.
- Gary O’Neil criticises the club’s January recruitment and his players’ attitude.
- The French side crashed out of both the Coupe de France and the Conference League this month.
- O’Neil reveals he wants two new centre-forwards ahead of next season.
RC Strasbourg Alsace’s season has collapsed. Manager Gary O’Neil gambled on cup competitions to secure European football. The plan has failed completely.
Le Racing lost to OGC Nice in the Coupe de France semi-finals. Days later, Spanish side Rayo Vallecano knocked them out of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Rayo will now face Crystal Palace in the final.
A tiny hope remained for Strasbourg. They could still catch AS Monaco in seventh place. This would bring Conference League qualification if RC Lens beat Nice in the cup final. However, they needed to defeat SCO Angers on Sunday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Now, European football is mathematically impossible.
O’Neil did not hide his anger after the game. He attacked his players’ performance. He also slammed the club’s work during the January transfer window.
“I am angry. I hope the players feel the same,” said the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss. “We have two games left. They must show me they deserve to stay. But we cannot continue like this. They disappointed me more than on Thursday.”
He warned his squad about the harsh realities of professional football. “The world of football is full of sharks. I told them this was a final. They did not play like it,” he added.
O’Neil then turned his attention to summer recruitment. He revealed urgent meetings have already started. “We must work hard this summer. I need two centre-forwards. The owners will give me resources. But we must improve the culture, quality, and depth.”
He admitted past mistakes clearly. “We messed up in January. We weakened the squad instead of strengthening it,” he concluded.