03.02.2026 00:41
Fenerbahçe's head coach Domenico Tedesco spoke after the match against Kocaelispor. The Italian coach mentioned the turning point of the match, saying, "Marco's goal was important, but Ederson's save was also important. Both were the turning points of the match."
Fenerbahçe defeated Kocaelispor 2-0 in the 20th week of the Super League away from home. After the match, Fenerbahçe's head coach Domenico Tedesco made evaluations at the press conference.
'THERE WAS A WONDERFUL ATMOSPHERE'
Praising the atmosphere at Kocaeli Stadium, Domenico Tedesco said, "Of course, I know that the names you mentioned are from this city. There was a wonderful atmosphere here. The love and passion for football are incredible. We played against a good team. We struggled to make a good start to the match. It would have been difficult if Talisca had been sent off, but I didn't watch the situation. İsmail was very good today. He plays 90 minutes in many consecutive matches. We wanted to make a change. We are happy to have so many midfielders."
'I CANNOT COMMENT ON RUMORS'
When asked about transfer rumors, Tedesco said, "Even if I didn't build the team we played in the first half of the season, the moment I received an offer from Fenerbahçe, I looked at the team. If I like the team, I will go to that team. If I felt that I would fail for this team, I wouldn't have come here. After signing, this team became my team. The transfer window closes on the 6th. I cannot comment on rumors. I have no information."
'THE TURNING POINT OF THE MATCH...'
Speaking about the turning point of the match, Tedesco said, "Marco's goal was important, but Ederson's save was also important. Both were the turning points of the match. We played against an aggressive team in a wonderful atmosphere. We couldn't make the start we wanted and didn't get a chance to play. The pitch was also shaky. The players said they didn't want to take risks. I like that they express their opinions. Over time, we played better. We had a clear chance before Asensio's goal. After finding the goal, we found the right path."
'IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO PLAY HERE'
Highlighting the difficulty of playing against Kocaelispor, Tedesco said, "It's always hard to play here against Kocaelispor. The team has certain patterns. We played against a good team. Petkovic sometimes plays like a pivot striker. He is already like a fox in the penalty area. Sometimes he approaches the center. When the forward player comes back, it opens space for the wingers. Considering the fans, it makes the match here difficult. We always want to press high and we communicate this to our players. We have a certain identity and we want to reflect this on the field. The first 20 minutes were tough. It was not possible to reflect the things we wanted on the field."
'WHAT MATTERS IN FOOTBALL IS TO GET THE RESULT'
The Italian coach stated that the team was not very good today, but what matters is to get the result, saying, "We had a wonderful performance in the Göztepe match in terms of gameplay. We had 82% possession. You saw how tough the Göztepe match was. But unfortunately, we couldn't get the result we wanted. But what matters in football is to get the result. If you can't be the champion at the end of the season, no one will remember that you played with 82% possession. Today, we were not very good as a team. We had solutions to overcome this, but it requires courage to reflect it on the field. Fortunately, we have players who can show tactical flexibility."
'A PLAYER WHO CAN ADD THE TEMPO WE WANT'
Domenico Tedesco concluded his remarks with the following statements: "Of course, we always want to improve our game. At its core, it involves possessing the ball, controlling the game, and attacking. Sidiki Cherif has joined the team. He is a player who can add the tempo we want. He is a young player, but we need to trust him. Matteo and Musaba have adapted to the team. The players are expending a lot of energy. We also need to congratulate the players who have been here from the beginning. This shows that everyone in the team has a good character."