22.07.2026 00:00
Fenerbahçe head coach İsmail Kartal made statements after the Gornik Zabrze match: The successful coach, speaking about Nathan Ake, who was substituted in the first half, said, "Nathan Ake had a mild therapy on his groin during the week. He felt a slight pain again. We didn't take any risks. That's why we took him off."
In the first match of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round, Fenerbahçe defeated Polish representative Gornik Zabrze 1-0 with a goal from Anderson Talisca. After the match, head coach İsmail Kartal made statements about the game.
''WE COULD HAVE WON BY AT LEAST 3-4 GOALS''
Evaluating the match, İsmail Kartal said, ''Our opponent is not a team to be underestimated. They are a very disciplined team that relies on physical strength and plays a transition game. We knew they would play like this, and we worked accordingly. However, we could have won by at least 3-4 goals. We deserved it with our gameplay. Two of our shots hit the post. We dominated the game from start to finish. They couldn't reach our goal in the second half. They only managed two shots throughout the match. They didn't even have a single corner in the second half.''
''THIS IS THE GREATNESS OF FENERBAHÇE''
The successful coach continued his words, saying, ''These teams are like that. You think there's nothing, but if you get caught up in the magic of the game and give a defensive weakness, they will capitalize. My players didn't give any space to the opponent. We played disciplined. By making many passes, constantly searching, and playing patiently, we maintained the same tactical discipline throughout the match. We expected at least 2-0 or 3-0. In the end, we won 1-0. I congratulate my players. Our fans gave magnificent support. This is the greatness of Fenerbahçe. We will continue to do our best to make our fans happy.''
''AKE FELT PAIN''
İsmail Kartal announced that Nathan Ake, who was taken off the field at the end of the first half, felt a slight pain: ''Nathan Ake had a light therapy on his groin during the week. He felt a slight pain there again. We didn't take a risk. That's why we took him off the field.''
''I TALKED TO ASENSIO''
Speaking about Asensio, whom he didn't give a chance in the starting 11, Kartal said, ''I talked to Asensio last night. I asked, 'How do you feel?' He said he was 100% ready. But I said, 'In my opinion, you're at 70%.' He said, 'You're right, of course you coaches know best.' I told him not to rush because of this. He is also coming along slowly.''