Giovanni van Bronckhorst: We were the team that wanted to play football

In the 10th week of the Süper Lig, Beşiktaş lost 2-1 away to Galatasaray. Beşiktaş manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst made statements at the press conference held after the match.

"WE WERE THE TEAM THAT WANTED TO PLAY FOOTBALL"

When asked about the performance of the match referee Arda Kardeşler, the Dutch manager said, "Today we actually reacted more than usual. We knew it would be a difficult match. We came here to play the game we wanted. We played well. We really came to a tough away venue. We dominated the game. This is what we wanted. But the team that played football today did not receive support from the referee. There were too many fouls during the match. Everything was allowed. I don't understand the many fouls committed by Galatasaray. Everyone saw it. After the match, please, someone explain this to me after looking at the footage.

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE"

I don't want to talk about this subject anymore. Because I want to be on the bench leading the team in the Kasımpaşa match. We expected it to be a difficult match. I am proud of the team's performance. We know the opponent is dangerous on set pieces. We played well, created opportunities, and dominated. We were the team that wanted to play football, but sometimes you need help from the referee in these matters. Our opponent could only stop us with fouls," he stated.

"THE GAME PLAN WORKED WONDERFULLY"

Stating that they have a wide squad, the 49-year-old manager said, "We have players who are not with us right now due to injuries. We start matches with the team we think will perform the way we want, a good performance. We also made changes during the match today. But specifically for today, we didn't need to change everything. We wanted to take advantage of Onur's ability to carry the ball forward in attack.

"WE WERE THE TEAM THAT DOMINATED THE GAME"

We wanted to get something out of the match at the end in this way. But the game plan worked wonderfully; we were the team that dominated the game. Our opponent could not press. Our movements were good. We did the things to win the match, we had the opportunities to win the match. I can say that we found those opportunities. But these are the elements that form the foundation of our work in the league for the future. We will analyze today's match. Starting tomorrow, we will focus on the Kasımpaşa match we will play at home," he said.

"WE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A THREE-MAN DEFENSE"

The successful manager expressed that they expected Galatasaray to take the field with a three-man defense approach before the match, saying, "Because Barış Alper was playing in that position but is also an original attacking player, we wanted to use the gaps there with Rafa in transition. After switching to a four-man formation in the second half, 3-on-2 situations also occurred in midfield. We said all of this before the match. Everything we talked about and said before the match came true. Regarding Semih, I don't know if you saw it while watching the match, but the biggest opportunity in the first half came from his wing. He is a dangerous player. He is a player who creates danger when he crosses or shoots inside.

"WE PLAYED WELL TODAY, AND WE FOUGHT WELL"

But his jersey is being pulled and he continues. This is allowed. As for the other topic, that 5-0 issue is closed. That match is over. We won that match. We were happy afterwards. A new match was played today. There was a new competition today. I also prefer not to talk about players who are not here, who are missing. We need to talk about the players who are here with us today. Because we prepared for today, for today's match, with them. We gave everything we had. We did everything. In the end, it didn't happen. These things happen in football. These things are part of life. But we played well today. We also fought well," he included.

"WE NEEDED TO BE STRONGER ON SET PIECES"

When reminded that Galatasaray found both goals from set pieces, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said, "We didn't do everything right and well today. We knew the opponent was dangerous regarding set pieces. We knew that players who take them are dangerous, that they create goal threats from there, and we knew the difficulty of this. The second goal, in particular, was very easy. Details are decisive. We were not strong enough on set pieces today. We needed to be stronger specifically on set pieces. Maybe we shouldn't have conceded 2 goals from set pieces, but there are many other things that shouldn't have happened today," he said.

"I CANNOT INFLUENCE THE REFEREES"

The Dutch manager said he was not complaining about the referees, only that he did not understand the decisions made. van Bronckhorst said, "Sometimes we obviously need to stand behind our team, our club. These are the things we saw today. Everyone saw it. We even saw those holding hands. I can only prepare my team; I cannot influence the referees. This was an important factor in today's game," he said.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst concluded his words by celebrating the October 29 Republic Day.