İsmail Kartal: The important thing was to advance to the next round
Assessing the round, İsmail Kartal said, "The players remained loyal to our game plan, and we got what we wanted in the first leg."
Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal, regarding his player Mert Hakan who got injured during the match in which they advanced to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League, stated, “Mert Hakan had a minor issue in his groin. When we talked to the doctor in the morning, he said there was no problem. However, after entering the game this time, he felt a strain in his hamstring. We will assess his condition.”
Fenerbahçe hosted Union Saint-Gilloise in Istanbul in the UEFA Conference League Round of 16. Despite losing 1-0 at home, Fenerbahçe, who won the first leg 3-0, advanced to the quarter-finals.
Following the match, Fenerbahçe coach İsmail Kartal made statements.
Assessing the round, İsmail Kartal said, “The players remained loyal to our game plan, and we got what we wanted in the first leg. The first half was evenly matched, but in the second half, our opponents started with more determination and enthusiasm. There were consecutive corners and an unexpected goal. We have an important match this weekend as well. Our plan ultimately worked out. Despite losing, we managed to advance to the next round.”
İSMAİL KARTAL COMMENTS ON MERT HAKAN’S INJURY
Continuing his words, İsmail Kartal stated, “Mert Hakan had a minor issue in his groin. When we talked to the doctor in the morning, he said there was no problem. However, after entering the game this time, he felt a strain in his hamstring. We will assess his condition. We will decide based on the doctor’s report.”
The experienced coach further added, “İrfan Can had a good game in goal. Ryan Kent also had a good game. Of course, they didn’t perform like our regular players, but they did their best. Ultimately, we didn’t want to lose, but the important thing was to advance to the next round.”
