22.07.2026 16:01
Beşiktaş Head Coach Vincenzo Italiano said that in the Midtjylland match, they want to put what they have worked on so far into practice and believe they will show good things to the fans. The experienced coach, who also spoke about transfers and İlhan Fakılı, stated, 'We still have time, and friends will join us, I can say that. We are working on it. I want to talk about İlhan Fakılı. He is a very quality player and really surprised me a lot.'
Beşiktaş will face Danish representative Midtjylland at home tomorrow in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round. The black-and-whites' head coach Vincenzo Italiano made statements at a press conference held at BJK Nevzat Demir Facilities before this match.
''I THINK THE KIDS CAN SHOW WHAT I SAY'' Stating that they have been working with the full squad for the last 10 days and want to reflect what they have trained on the field against Midtjylland tomorrow, Italiano said, "We had many young players among us, and the national team issue hurt us a bit because they came late. I wish we could have trained with all of them from the first day. That would have been great, but unfortunately we face these scenarios during European cups or the World Cup. We have been working together with the full squad for the last 10 days, and our work has gone very well. I think the kids can show what I say on the field. We will play against Midtjylland tomorrow. They are a team of a certain level, a strong and good team, but we also want to put into practice what we have done so far. I think we can show something good tomorrow."
"YOU CAN ENCOUNTER THE REAL FACE OF FOOTBALL" The Italian coach also mentioned that competing in European cups is a very exciting journey, saying, "But at the same time, when you play in Europe, you can encounter the real face of football. Because some European teams, with their different styles, can show you what real football is sometimes. We are all very eager. We want to continue in Europe. I don't know which tournament it will be, but we want to stay in Europe in any case. This journey begins, and we want to win tomorrow. Staying in Europe, staying in any tournament, is very nice for us, but of course, we all know how important the league is. Because the fans want the league, the club wants the league. We all want to be successful in the league, but as I said again, today our journey begins, and our current goal is entirely tomorrow's match."
"THERE IS MUCH MORE WE NEED TO WORK ON" Emphasizing that he is very excited for both himself and his team to play their first official match, Vincenzo Italiano said, "We will go out in a very beautiful stadium. We will play this match in a wonderful atmosphere. We will be together with our fans for the first time. So, we are really curious and very excited about this situation. This match is, of course, very important, but the fans also need to know that this is our first match. It will be our start to this season, and there is much more we need to work on. I trust our fans a lot. They will support us well tomorrow. They will be the force that pushes us tomorrow, the power that enables our better game. We want to put on a good performance on the field with our fans and show what we have worked on so far."
"WE WANT TO BUILD A TEAM THAT KNOWS WHAT IT IS DOING" The experienced coach stated that in the past, when he was at the helm of different teams, he competed against Turkish teams and that the league in Turkey is very tough, adding, "I have had the opportunity to play against Turkish teams in the past. We played against Başakşehir and Sivasspor in the Conference League. We also played a very important friendly match against Galatasaray. Regarding the Turkish League, I can say that considering the teams I played against, it is a very tough league. It is really not an easy league, and you need to be 100% ready for every match. If you can't be 100% ready, your job in the league is very hard. Generally, in camp, we worked on a four-man defense. We also made changes in our midfield, sometimes with one midfielder, sometimes two. We want to change this according to our opponent because each match is ultimately different. You need to come up with a different strategy for each match. But our foundation will generally be this. We want to build an identity based on a four-man defense. We want to create a Beşiktaş identity. We want to build a team that knows what it is doing on the field, and we have set our strategy entirely on this."
''IT REALLY SURPRISED ME'' The coach of the black-and-whites added that some of the young players will stay with the team for the rest of the season, saying, "During the year, some friends can work with us in certain weeks. Because, as I said, there were really interesting names, names very open to development. So, from time to time, some of them can come and work with us, or even stay. I want to talk about İlhan Fakılı. He is a very quality player, and he really surprised me too. I can say that I was taken by surprise after İlhan. In the friendly matches, he scored two important goals and performed well. He showed us how clinical and calm he is in front of the goal. He is a young friend, also very open to development. But because he is young, of course, he needs to improve some aspects of his game. He needs to improve his off-the-ball game a bit more. He needs to be more aggressive and tough, and he needs to learn to work better with his teammates. He is a quality player. Since he is already a quality player, he is with us now, and I think he can make great contributions to us in the future."
''I CAN SAY I AM IN A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT'' Vincenzo Italiano also emphasized that he has been in a perfect environment since joining Beşiktaş. Italiano said, "The people here are truly incredible. Everyone works very hard. Everyone gives 100% of what they have for this cause. Our facilities are really beautiful, and my initial feelings are still the same. I had good feelings, and I still have good feelings now. Because I can say that I am very happy with everything I have seen so far. We talked about some things at the start of the season, but of course, they stay between us, I can't tell you. I think we will do good work. The transfer season is still ongoing. We still have time, and friends will join us, I can say that too. We are working on it. I am very happy with everything so far. I am also very happy to be with the fans tomorrow and to be on the field for my first match. I want to start right away. I really want tomorrow to come."
'NO MATCH IS WON ON PAPER' The 48-year-old coach, who argued that all teams playing in Europe are tactically and physically prepared, said, "Especially the Northern teams are physical teams. Teams in Europe are also teams that can play under pressure and press well. In short, there is no such thing as an easy match in Europe; every match is tough. We prepared well. If we have a disadvantage, I am not saying this as an excuse; we were able to work together as a whole team for a short time. I can only say that. But other than that, we prepared well for our opponent. We know what kind of team we are up against, and there is never an easy match in Europe. I say this not only for my own team but for all teams. No match in Europe is won on paper. We know Midtjylland well, we worked hard, and tomorrow we want to show on the pitch what we have worked on so far."