Šenkeřík after his experience in Turkey: Fenerbahce can reach discipline. The coach is bent

Zdeněk Šenkeřík will forever be etched in the hearts of the Slavic fans, as he scored the first ever goal for Slavia in the Champions League against Steaua, and in the return leg he scored the equalising goal that secured a draw, thanks to which the Sešiovans qualified for the Europa League. In his rich career, he also tried his hand at Malatyaspor in Turkey, so he experienced first-hand the atmosphere at the Fenerbahce stadium. Now Ruik discusses Slavia’s Conference rivals.

What to expect from Fenerbahce? Is it more of a technical team or do they have a game based on power and speed?

Fenerbahce is led by Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, so the handwriting of technical football is there. The defence is strong, but I think it could clash with the speed of the Slavia players. They have a couple of problems, they currently have their number one goalkeeper, Altay, injured and young Berke will catch, which is a big hit to the line-up.

What is the mood at the club at the moment?

Fenerbahce are not doing well in the league, people are not going to see them much right now. The coach is very busy right now, they play a derby with Besiktas this weekend and that’s where his future will be decided. It’s probably also due to the pandemic, but it’s noticeable in the attendance, if everything was working at the club, the stadium would be full for every round.

Who do Slavia have to watch out for the most?

The two biggest stars are probably Mesut Özil and Irfan Kahveci. They have an excellent player in the number 10 position, which is Pelkas, but he doesn’t get many chances . I’m surprised he doesn’t play, but supposedly he doesn’t fit the coach’s system. They also rotate strikers a lot, Rossi is there once, Özil once, and they also rotate often in the 70th minute for example, so I guess they have a fitness problem as well. I think the team has the capacity to play 60 minutes against Slavia. We will see how it will be after the winter preparation.

Slavia will have a stormy atmosphere in the 50,000-seater stadium. How big a factor will the opening of the stadiums be?

It will be a fantastic experience for the boys, the Turkish crowd is something else. Although Fenerbahce is located in the Asian part of Istanbul, so the fans are not as boisterous as, say, Galatasary or Besiktas, the crowd there is more cultured and understands football more. But it doesn’t change the fact that Slavia will have a very stormy environment.

You had the honour to play at the Fenerbahce stadium in the Malatyaspor jersey. How do you remember that match?

It’s beautiful. I experienced it myself, even though it was just the Turkish league, but it was really worth it. If full capacity is allowed, the players have a lot to look forward to.

Can Slavia challenge their opponents especially with tactics? Is it true that the Turks are less responsible in tactical duties?

You put it well, but I would say another thing. In Fenerbahce and in Slavia they have a lot of foreigners, but when I compare their concept of the game or responsibility, Slavia has a lot of advantage, so to speak, they have been “kicked”. The foreigners in Fenerbahce seemed to me to be reckless in some games, it seems to me that they play football in the style that nothing can happen. It could be the mood of the club or disagreements with the coach. They have good names, but I think they are running out of discipline.

Do you follow the Turkish league regularly? Why is it that last year the big clubs Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray fought for the title until the last round and this year they are 9th, 7th and 5th?

Knowing the Turkish league first hand, that’s just the way it is. One year a team goes up and plays for cups and the next year they play for relegation or get relegated, which is not the case with these teams. Now Trabzonspor leads the league, they have a 12 point lead on Fenerbahce, yet in recent years they have not been a threat either. It’s just Turkey, it’s specific that the teams there have these fluctuations.

Do you have any news on how they perceive Slavia in Turkey? Do they know about its successes in recent years or is it an unknown club for them?

I’m sure they follow Slavia, they probably haven’t missed the successes of the last few years. The question is what will happen over the winter, from what I have heard, coach Pereira is very angry, even with the fans. But I’m sure they will have Slavia loaded, the teams are watching each other. I don’t think they underestimate anyone, they definitely have to take Slavia into account.

Fenerbahce didn’t manage to advance in the Europa League, do you think they will take the Conference League seriously or is it a bit of an afterthought for them?

It’s still Europe, they have to take it. I don’t think they can reach the title anymore, anything can happen, but I don’t think they’re still fighting for the title. Of course it’s called the Conference League, it has a different sound, but there’s Leicester, there are other teams that have strength. In the frame of mind they are in at the moment, Fenerbahce have to respect that.

According to the bookmakers, Slavia is the favourite to qualify. How do you see the promotion?

They will be confident, but they are definitely not the favourite for me at the moment. Slavia are struggling with injuries, but that’s a problem for a lot of teams. I think Slavia will advance because they are more disciplined and tactically they can handle the games better than Fenerbahce.