Okan Buruk: Our current goal is to win the second trophy of 2023

Last season's Süper Lig champion Galatasaray and Ziraat Turkish Cup winner Fenerbahçe will face off tomorrow in the Turkcell Super Cup. The match, which will be held at Al-Awwal Park (King Saud University Stadium) in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, will start at 20:45.

A press conference was held before the match with the participation of the yellow-red team's manager Okan Buruk and captain Fernando Muslera.

Speaking at the meeting held at Al-Awwal Park, Buruk said, "It will be a final between two teams that have many trophies in their history. We want to win the Super Cup. Winning trophies has been our biggest goal since last season. First, we won the championship. Our current goal is to win the second trophy of 2023. We are here for this. We know that the expectations from us are high. There is a beautiful atmosphere. The pitch is very nice. I think this will also reflect positively on the match. I hope it will be a derby where the football level is high. As managers, we want this, but sometimes it may not happen on the pitch."

Stating that both teams represent Turkey, Buruk said, "I want it to be a derby worthy of Turkey. I wish we could have sat together with our opponent here. However, our opponent made such a decision. I hope it will be a beautiful derby where football comes to the fore in a way that is worthy of us and our country."

When asked about the press conference not being held jointly, the yellow-red team's manager expressed his opinion, saying, "A decision was made that they would not sit at the same table. Tomorrow, we will shake hands and hug each other on the pitch again. We will give the same message of friendship on the pitch."

"There was no team playing out with passes against us"

Okan Buruk said that Fenerbahçe waited very deep in the derby played 4 days ago in the Süper Lig.

When asked about the game in the derby played at Ülker Stadium, Buruk noted the following:

"We pressed high against Bayern Munich. We also pressed high against Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe preferred to play with long balls rather than passing. There was no team playing out with passes against us. They allowed us to build up from the back too much in the first half. As an away team, our opponent stayed deeper than we expected. We played with similar squads. Both teams fell below expectations in individual skills. This did not produce a good result either in terms of the score or statistics. Our goal is to do better tomorrow. The teams will be a bit more relaxed. There is the atmosphere and pressure of a derby. This is something else entirely. Players can sometimes act to avoid losing. Our goal is to both play well and win tomorrow's match."

"Icardi has a fracture in his face"

Okan Buruk said that Mauro Icardi, who received a blow to his face in the Fenerbahçe derby, has a fracture.

Stating that they will decide tomorrow whether the Argentine star will play or not, Buruk said, "Icardi trained with a mask today. He has a fracture in his face. He received 3 separate blows in the Fenerbahçe derby. Referees also need to protect the players. I will ask the referees to protect the players more on the pitch. We all protected them during the attack on the referees. Referees also have to protect the players. We will make a decision about Icardi tomorrow."

"Fred playing might also be an advantage for us"

Buruk stated that Fred playing for Fenerbahçe could be an advantage for them.

When reminded that Fenerbahçe could not benefit from the Brazilian midfielder in the derby, the 50-year-old manager said:

"We analyzed our opponent. Even if not as aggressive as Galatasaray, they were a team trying to press in the front area. However, they preferred to wait deep in the last match. Something different might come up tomorrow. We have good players. Kerem Demirbay and Kaan Ayhan can play both sides of the game. Since the day he arrived, Kerem has become a more aggressive player who wins the ball. Mertens is a player who uses spaces well and effectively. The game will change a bit with Fred's arrival. İrfan Can is also a player of that profile, but he hasn't lost his place. Fred is a player who wanders more and can go to the wings. From our perspective, the space in the midfield can sometimes be an advantage. We can pass through the midfield more easily."

"Our players also need to be respected"

Okan Buruk said he expects his opponents to respect his players.

When reminded that Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal said that the yellow-red players did not get up from the ground in the derby 4 days ago, Buruk said, "I could also say, 'The opponent was constantly on the referee. They were constantly protesting.' However, one needs to respect the players. I respect all Fenerbahçe players and their movements on the pitch. Our players also need to be respected. Top-level players go out on the pitch to do their best. Instead of blaming, we need to protect the players of both teams and look after them. Our pressure makes their game quality go down. I believe that the players of both teams will have good intentions tomorrow. I believe and trust in this."

When asked if they practiced penalties, Okan Buruk replied, "Muslera practiced more. He ruined the team's morale by saving all the penalties."

News Source: 12punto