Shota Arveladze: 'We showed great character'

VavaCars Fatih Karagümrük manager Shota Arveladze congratulated his players for their performance after defeating Yılport Samsunspor 2-1 in the Ziraat Turkish Cup Round of 16.

Speaking at the press conference held after the match played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Arveladze said that there was little preparation time for cup matches, which is why they tried to use players who had played less.

Adding that they were looking to see if these matches would be an opportunity for the players, Arveladze said, "I want to congratulate the players. You have a short time to work after a league match and you choose a squad. We fell behind in the match, but our players showed character. We scored two beautiful goals."

Criticizing the referee's performance, the manager commented, "We are surprised at how some things are not seen when you can hear the sound of kicks during fouls, and when simple hard fouls occur. A player's foot or head could literally be gone. In the first half, the opponent flew and collided with our player. He gave the foul to the opponent. I also received a yellow card; I don't know why I received it. I didn't throw the ball into the air, I didn't throw it anywhere, I threw it back inside."

Responding to the question of whether he wants to be successful in the league or the cup, Arveladze replied, "A coach and a club always think about winning; making a choice is both difficult and easy. We go out on the pitch to win every match. Today, Samsunspor came with a young squad without their substitute players. We didn't leave anyone out. We even held a training session after the match. Every match is the same for us. The league is of course very important for everyone, but it would not be right to make a clear distinction."