‘We messed up in January’ – Gary O’Neil hits out at Strasbourg’s transfer dealings

‘We messed up in January’ – Gary O’Neil hits out at Strasbourg’s transfer dealings

The wheels have come off at RC Strasbourg Alsace. Gary O’Neil accepted the risk of placing the club’s hopes of a European qualification in the cup competitions, but it hasn’t paid off. After defeat to OGC Nice in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, Le Racingwere knocked out of the UEFA Europa Conference League at the hands of Rayo Vallecano in midweek. It is the Spanish side that will face Crystal Palace in the final later this month.

There was, however, still a small chance of Strasbourg catching AS Monaco in seventh. O’Neil’s side face the Principality club on the final day of the season, next Sunday, and a win over SCO Angers last night would have given them a chance of catching the Principality club. A seventh-place finish will be enough to qualify for the Europa Conference League in the event that RC Lens beat Nice in the Coupe de France final.

However, Strasbourg drew against Le SCO(1-1). It is now mathematically impossible for them to qualify for Europe for next season. Post-match, O’Neil didn’t hold back in his criticism, firstly of his players and then the club’s January transfer dealings.

(and the defeat to Rayo Vallecano). *They have to do better. The world of football is full of sharks. They need to know that. I told them that we were playing a final and they didn’t play like they had to,”*said the former and manager.