In an interview with Le Figaro, Neom’s Saudi club coach Christophe Galtier revisited a very painful episode in his career: the serious horse accident involving former PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico in 2023.
Life as a coach is rarely smooth sailing. Christophe Galtier’s is no exception, with glory at Lille, a frustrating spell at PSG among star players, and a trial for harassment and discrimination at OGC Nice ending in his acquittal, which he now describes as “very violent” three years later. Among all these memories, one incident has left a lasting mark on the current coach of Neom’s Saudi club: the serious horse accident that former PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico suffered in May 2023.
“The feeling of guilt for saying yes”
Although he claimed a year ago to have “regained all his faculties,” the Spanish goalkeeper cheated death. This left the PSG locker room and his coach in shock. “It’s the toughest moment I’ve ever had to experience,” admits Christophe Galtier in an interview with Le Figaro on Friday. “After the match against Strasbourg, where we were crowned French champions, Sergio asked me for permission to go to Seville for the Romeria del Rocio (a big Andalusian pilgrimage, editor’s note). 24 hours later, we learn about this serious accident that completely upsets me. I felt guilty for telling him yes.”
> “I remember that terrible moment when I took the club suit, put it back in its cover and then in the wardrobe, and I started crying.”
And the 59-year-old coach continues: “At that moment, the locker room is deeply affected, there are many tears, sadness, even worry. Some players made the trip to Seville. I had a long conversation with his wife this week, even afterwards. It coincided with the week of the PSG charity gala, which was cancelled. And I remember that terrible moment when I took the club suit, put it back in its cover and then in the wardrobe, and I started crying. At that moment, we didn’t know if Sergio would survive. The feeling of guilt didn’t leave me for weeks.” Sergio Rico joined Al-Gharafa club in Qatar in September 2024.
