Fenerbahçe’s Irfan Can: “We’re Entering a Tough Fixture, But We’re Ready!”

Having played a key role in the victories by scoring goals in the UEFA Nations League B matches against Montenegro and Iceland, Kahveci evaluated his performance and the national team break. He also shared his thoughts on Fenerbahçe’s upcoming intense fixture, which starts with the Samsunspor match and continues with Manchester United. At the end of his remarks, İrfan Can expressed his gratitude to Fenerbahçe fans.

“The national break was very productive for both the team and me”

Irfan Can began by assessing the national team break: “I can say that the break was very productive for both the team and me. It was amazing from my perspective. Scoring in both matches was a great feeling. We have a great generation in the national team and have adapted very well. We are doing well, and hopefully, we will do our best to qualify for the World Cup in the future. We played on tough pitches and had long travels, but the result was great.”

“We played well; as a team, we were great”

Highlighting the match against Iceland in the Nations League, Kahveci said, “Honestly, I still have some back pain (laughing). The pitch felt like we were playing on rocks, it was that hard. Thankfully, we got through the match without any injuries, and the result was great. It was tough for us. We played well, and as a team, we were great. My goal made it 1-1, but we fought hard as a team and got a good result. I’m happy about that.”

“The more I score, the more I want to score”

Talking about Fenerbahçe’s upcoming match against Samsunspor in the Süper Lig this weekend, Kahveci said, “I was already motivated before joining the national team, and I needed these goals. I hope I can continue this form here. The more I score, the more I want to score. Samsun will be a tough away game, especially since their pitch wasn’t great either. But I hope I can score there as well. Last year, I made an assist in the away match and scored at home, and hopefully, I’ll score in Samsun.”

“We’re entering a tough fixture”

Irfan Can shared his thoughts on Fenerbahçe’s challenging schedule, which starts with Samsunspor and continues with Manchester United:

“We’re about to enter a tough fixture. After Samsunspor, there are difficult matches like Manchester United. But I believe our squad quality is enough for this. We have very important players. I think this squad can handle the fixture. Every match is tough, none are easy. Sometimes, the matches that seem easy on paper can become difficult, and vice versa. That’s why we approach every game with the same concentration, hoping to come away with three points each time.”

“We’ll play to win at home, that’s in Fenerbahçe’s DNA”

Regarding the upcoming UEFA Europa League match against Manchester United, Kahveci said, “They are a strong team. If I’m not mistaken, one of their key players received a red card. We’re playing at home, and we’ll go out there to win, that’s in Fenerbahçe’s DNA. We aim to win every match we play at home, no matter who the opponent is! Fenerbahçe has beaten big clubs here before, like Chelsea FC… We need to regain that old spirit. Fenerbahçe is truly a huge club, and we need to show that again.”

“Players returning from international duty came back well”

Commenting briefly on Fenerbahçe players who went on international duty, Irfan Can said, “The players who returned from the national teams came back well. I hope it goes well for the team as well. About Sebastian Szymanski and Dominik Livakovic: I spoke with Sebastian, and he said ‘it was a red card’, while Livakovic said ‘it wasn’t red’ regarding the incident in the Poland-Croatia match when Livakovic made a challenge on Lewandowski in the 76th minute. I also don’t think it was a red card. I think it was a wrong decision there.”

“This intense fixture benefits players”

Kahveci noted that the busy fixture schedule is beneficial for players who want playing time: “The fixture is intense, of course, but we’ve gotten used to this by now. I haven’t really had a break for a long time. We came back from the national team at the start of this season, we had a baby, etc., so I didn’t get any time off. It’s been intense, and the schedule has become crowded. Hopefully, we’ll get a break at some point (laughing). Joking aside, this busy schedule benefits the players. Because of the tight schedule, players who don’t play one match get a chance in another. It’s better for teams when everyone gets playing time.”

Irfan Can, who credited his sons Can and Ata for bringing him luck, added, “Everything is going well in my marriage, and thankfully, the kids are growing. Can has grown up a lot, and Ata is still very small, of course. He’s growing slowly. He hasn’t come to a match yet, it’s still too early. Hopefully, I’ll bring him to a match. When Can came to his first match, I won a cup. When he came to Kadıköy for the first time, I scored a goal. Hopefully, Ata will also bring me luck.”

“I hope I score a hat-trick”

Having previously scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League, Kahveci expressed his desire to repeat the feat in the Europa League:

“Hopefully, it will happen. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I scored a hat-trick in the Champions League. I always ask myself, ‘When will you do it again?’ I try to motivate and push myself, but sometimes when you push too hard, it doesn’t happen. I hope I’ll score a hat-trick. Scoring a hat-trick is an amazing feeling. Hopefully, I’ll get that chance in the future.”

“Mourinho said, ‘Score for us too’”

Irfan Can shared the brief conversation he had with coach Jose Mourinho after scoring in the matches against Montenegro and Iceland:

“The coach saw it and congratulated me, saying, ‘It was a great goal.’ I thanked him. Then he said, ‘Score for us too,’ and I replied, ‘Hopefully.’ Hopefully, I’ll start with a goal in Samsun. Samsun has always held a special place for us due to its connection to our national leader Atatürk. Hopefully, I’ll score there too.”

“When the fans chant ‘Irfan Irfan,’ I get goosebumps”

Lastly, Kahveci talked about the support of Fenerbahçe fans and its importance: “Our fans are always by my side. They constantly support me, and I’m very happy and proud of that. I’ve gone through tough times here, but we got through them together. They lifted me up to the next level. I thank them for that. They’re always with me. When they chant ‘Irfan Irfan,’ it gives me goosebumps. I hope I can continue to perform in a way that makes them proud.”