Erzurumspor Coach Hakan Kutlu: “Talking About Mourinho Is Beyond Anyone’s Place”

Assessing the match, Kutlu said:
“The first half was satisfactory. Our positioning on the field was solid. Fenerbahçe has high-quality players, but we fulfilled the requirements of the game. However, we have a very important away match in two days. In the second half, we rotated the squad and gave playing time to those who had fewer minutes. We played poorly in the second half, but the first half reflected our true game. Fenerbahçe also fielded very important players. There was a difference in quality. I congratulate Fenerbahçe.”

“Talking About Mourinho Is Beyond Anyone’s Place”

Speaking about Fenerbahçe head coach José Mourinho, Hakan Kutlu stated:
“José Mourinho is a very important coach. He is someone who has implemented a three-man defense. In Turkey, there is a bias against teams that play with a back three—among executives, fans, and presidents. Teams using this system are not embraced. Mourinho switched to a back three, and if he is given time here, he will accomplish great things. Given his past achievements, it is beyond anyone’s place to talk about him. Mourinho will be very successful in Turkey.”

During the press conference at Ülker Stadium, Kutlu began his remarks by offering condolences to coach Sergen Yalçın and his family after the passing of his brother Gürsoy Yalçın.

He also paid tribute to the late legendary footballer Ogün Altıparmak, saying:
“His son, Batur Altıparmak, was my teammate. My condolences to both Fenerbahçe and his family.”

Emphasizing that they are competing for the championship in the Trendyol 1. Lig, Hakan Kutlu added:
“Cup matches were important for us in terms of squad rotation. The first half performance was satisfying, but in the second half, after making changes, we couldn’t play as expected. I wish Fenerbahçe success in the next rounds. We have a crucial match this weekend, and we want to continue focusing on our journey to the Süper Lig.”