İsmail Kartal’s post-match comments and press conference after Sivasspor game

Fenerbahçe’s Head Coach İsmail Kartal spoke after the team’s 4-1 victory against Sivasspor in the 14th week of the Super Lig. Kartal, making specific remarks about Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Fred, and Djiku, also touched upon the upcoming Beşiktaş derby.

İsmail Kartal’s statements are as follows:

“It went as planned. Sivasspor was a team that waited and quickly counterattacked in the first zone. They are one of the best teams in the Super Lig at doing that. We also emphasized our defensive security, and we succeeded. We started well, had a bit of a dip, slowed down in the second half, and towards the end, we increased the tempo again.

We won the match that we needed to win, together with our fans, by securing three points with a significant margin. Now, we will prepare for the Beşiktaş match to be played this weekend.

We won 4-1, but for players like Ferdi, Fred, who returned from injuries, this transitional match served as a preparation. They gave a good reaction. Hopefully, they will be even better in the Beşiktaş match. I thank the fans.

I am happy for the victory today. There was no decline in the game. We dominated from start to finish. You will occasionally withdraw, sometimes give the ball to the opponent. When the ball was with Sivasspor, we compactly faced the ball. After 2-1, it became 4-1; it could have been 5-1 or 6-1.

We are closely monitoring Djiku day by day. He started training with the team. We are evaluating his situation with our medical team. We will follow his status until the weekend.

There is no clear favorite for derbies beforehand; the results are unpredictable. We will see…”

İsmail Kartal’s Press Conference

After Fenerbahçe‘s 4-1 victory over Sivasspor in the 14th week of the Super Lig, a press conference was held where Fenerbahçe Head Coach İsmail Kartal made statements.

Kartal, describing the good start of the match, said, “We knew how well Sivasspor plays the transition game in this league. We took the field to win this match in our own home. We started well. We achieved a 4-1 victory, a different win. We won with a beautiful game and the support of our fans. I congratulate my players. I also thank our fans,” he said.

Regarding Djiku’s return to the field, Kartal answered a question, “Djiku has started team training. But we cannot give a specific date.”

“No favorite in derby matches”

Speaking about the upcoming derby match against Beşiktaş in the 15th week of the Super Lig, Kartal stated, “There is no favorite in derby matches. It highlights which team may be better on that day in the current atmosphere. We will try to prepare with our players in the best possible way.”

“My players had high energy in training”

Kartal mentioned telling his players that there was only one way to forget the defeat against Nordsjaelland. He said, “Fenerbahçe is a big club. I told my players that such a defeat doesn’t suit us. There is only one way to forget this defeat. We will play against Sivasspor, play good football, and continue the streak. My players had high energy in training. It was a beautiful victory. We have overcome this.”

“We felt Fred’s absence”

Speaking about Fred, who has recovered from injury, İsmail Kartal said, “All players are essential for us. Fred is crucial for us too. If I have to be honest, we felt Fred’s absence. We had a meeting yesterday. I said, ‘You know what I think. What matters is what you think.’ I told him that I’m starting him in the XI. Depending on the score, I won’t risk you; I’ll take you out of the game. It was a good start. I’m very happy that we won him and Ferdi.”

“I don’t look at things like points average”

Expressing his focus on the team’s position and situation, Kartal stated, “I’m not really looking at things like the current points average. I’m concerned with my team’s position and situation. Those are subsequent matters. Our main job is to prepare our team for every match in the best possible way.”

“We can include Mert Hakan in the squad for the Beşiktaş match”

Regarding Mert Hakan Yandaş, İsmail Kartal said, “As I have always said, I have never resorted to excuses. We took the field for every match with the existing players to do our best. Zajc’s treatments are ongoing. It seems to me that we can include Mert Hakan in the squad for the Beşiktaş match,” concluding his statements.