05.11.2026 16:21
Çorum FK Technical Director Burak Yılmaz made striking statements before the Fenerbahçe match. Evaluating the appointment of Emre Belözoğlu as head of the yellow-navy blues, Yılmaz said, "Emre Belözoğlu may have just arrived. I wish him success, but it doesn't mean much to me." The young coach said they are aiming for a win against Fenerbahçe.
Preparations are ongoing at Arca Çorum FK, who will host Fenerbahçe on Sunday, November 8, in the 11th week of the Trendyol Süper Lig. Head coach Burak Yılmaz answered journalists' questions before the training session held at the club's facilities. Yılmaz made assessments on many topics, from Fenerbahçe's victory over Liverpool to the coaching change.
"IT DOESN'T MEAN MUCH TO ME"
Speaking about Emre Belözoğlu being appointed as head coach in place of İsmail Kartal at Fenerbahçe, Burak Yılmaz said:
"Emre Belözoğlu's arrival or İsmail Kartal's absence is not important to me. What matters is that we will play against Fenerbahçe. Emre Belözoğlu may have just arrived. I wish him success, but it does not mean much to me."
"FENERBAHÇE IS ALWAYS FENERBAHÇE"
Also touching on Fenerbahçe's 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League, Yılmaz emphasized that the yellow-navy team is a big club regardless of the results it gets.
Yılmaz said, "Whether Fenerbahçe wins or not, whether it has been losing for a long time or is in a bad situation, none of this takes anything away from its greatness. Likewise, the fact that it has not been champions for many years does not take anything away from Fenerbahçe's greatness either. Fenerbahçe is always Fenerbahçe. That is why we are not looking at last night's win or losses. We are preparing to face Fenerbahçe, one of Turkey's important and big clubs."
"PERHAPS IT IS A THRESHOLD MATCH FOR US"
Stating that they want to win against Fenerbahçe, Burak Yılmaz said tickets were sold out and the city is focused on the match. Expressing that they respect their opponents but will implement their own game plan, Yılmaz said they want to earn points by fighting without fear.
Regarding the importance of the match, Yılmaz said, "We will do everything we can, perhaps more, to win. Then we will go into the national team break. In terms of points, there is no difference between a win against Fenerbahçe and the win we got against Erzurumspor, but in terms of self-confidence it will add a lot to us. It will add great things to our city. Perhaps this is a threshold match for us. Perhaps we will experience an upward momentum. Otherwise, every point earned is equal to every point earned against anyone."
EMPHASIS ON REALISTIC GOALS FOR THE TURKISH CUP
Evaluating their pairing with Karacabey Belediyespor in the 4th round of the Ziraat Turkish Cup, Yılmaz said he wants to give a chance to players who get less playing time in cup matches.
The young coach said, "We must be realistic. To go far in the Turkish Cup, we need a large squad. Our club needs to be strong. If we keep our feet on the ground and all together set realistic goals, God willing, we will be successful, but we cannot chase unrealistic goals."
"THERE IS A NEW STYLE OF PLAY"
Arca Çorum FK defender Hrvoje Smolcic stated that the team's style of play changed after Burak Yılmaz took charge. Reminding that they collected 9 points in the last 4 matches, Smolcic said there are areas they need to improve.
Ylber Ramadani, on the other hand, stated that although Fenerbahçe is not where it wants to be in the league standings, it is a strong team made up of quality players. Meanwhile, all players except the injured Fredy took part in the Çorum representative's training session.