What did the Fenerbahce coach say before Slavia? İsmail Kartal wants to take promotion from Prague

Slavia won 3:2 in the Turkish capital and according to coach Ismail Kartal, it was a big surprise for Fenerbahce. However, a one-goal loss does not mean a definitive end in the Conference Europa League. The Czech media and the public can already feel the clear progress of Prague Slavia, but according to the Fenerbahce coach, we are only halfway there.

Visually, the spectator saw in the opening game that Slavia was the better team. However, Fenerbahce has technical players and can strike from almost anything. Therefore, the one-goal cushion of the Susians does not mean promotion.

As long as Slavia don’t take a two-goal lead in Eden, the Turkish opponent will probably keep biting.

At the pre-match conference, coach İsmail Kartal spoke about the opening game in Istanbul and how his charges will approach the rematch.

Questions were then directed at whether talented midfielder Arda Güler will start against the Susians and how he will put together his team’s offensive and defensive lines.

Fenerbahce coach before Slavia

“We are sorry that we lost the home game. We really didn’t expect to lose, anyway we had a lot of experience with Slavia. We analyzed their organization of the game and we know that they really run a lot and can put the opponent under pressure all over the field.”

The Turkish coach went on to say that it was an even match in Istanbul, decided by two goals in the space of two minutes.

the 60-year-old wants to atone for the home debacle and hopes his team will enjoy promotion. As for the deployment of the still 16-year-old Arda Güler, he was quite vague.

From his words, it looks like Güler will start on the substitutes’ bench and possibly jump into the match from the bench. Kartal also tried to point out that every game is not ideal for the young player and that he has to try to protect him. Either way, it may just be a ploy to confuse Slavia.

“We have to show team character, there is still a chance for promotion. But if we want to advance further, we have to bring everything we said on the pitch,” Kartal told the club’s website.

Fenerbahçe SK