Mario Branco Speaks on Fenerbahçe’s Europa League Draw and Transfer Plans
Fenerbahçe will face Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Playoff. Sporting Director Mario Branco shared his thoughts on the draw and provided an update on transfers.
The UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Playoff draw has been completed, and Fenerbahçe‘s opponent will be Belgian side Anderlecht. Sporting Director Mario Branco evaluated the draw and also spoke about the club’s transfer plans. Here are Branco’s statements to TRT Spor:
“A Tough Matchup”
*”It’s a difficult pairing. Anderlecht is a club that has always been present in European competitions. On the other hand, we are very familiar with this setup. Last year, we played against Union Saint-Gilloise and left Brussels with good memories. Hopefully, we can do the same this season.
Right now, we can’t talk about being favorites. Anderlecht finished higher than us in the league phase. We played against strong teams in the group stage. In the Europa League, the competition is always 50-50. Hopefully, we will be competitive enough to advance to the next round.
First, we must focus on Anderlecht. We already know Olympiakos from last year when we lost to them on penalties. We are ready. We are a competitive team. No matter who Fenerbahçe faces—whether in the league, the cup, or Europe—we always take the field to win.”*
Branco’s Transfer Update
“Transfers in Europe will close on Monday and Tuesday, while in Turkey, the window remains open until February 11. We can say that we have completed most of the transfers we wanted. However, anything is possible until the last moment.
We have made significant signings. Even in the group stage of the Europa League, we had injuries to key players. In some matches, we had very few options. Against Midtjylland, we played with a limited squad. We are working to build quality. The opportunity window is always open, but overall, we have accomplished what we set out to do.”
