Domenico Tedesco: We will remain alert until the transfer window closes

In the third week of the Ziraat Turkish Cup Group C, Fenerbahçe defeated Erzurumspor FK 3-1 at home. Fenerbahçe Head Coach Domenico answered questions at the press conference held after the match.

Regarding the need for a forward following the departure of players in that position during the winter transfer window, Tedesco said, "I knew this question would come; before talking about the forward position, I want to evaluate the general situation.

Overall, the transfer period went positively for us. It even exceeded our expectations. We signed 5 players, and for these players, not only their playing quality but also their human quality and winning mentality are very important. Mert (Günok) is a new player, but he has returned home. Guendouzi, Musaba, Kante, and Cherif have joined us.

Cherif is only 19 years old. We need to play him for his development. Overall, it went beyond our expectations. You are right about the numbers in the forward position, but the situation was no different in December. En-Nesyri had gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, and we were in the same situation. The transfer window closes tomorrow, and we will remain alert until it does. We will not make transfers just for the sake of it. That is not our style. We need to be convinced when signing a player. Even though Talisca is not a forward, he scored 2 goals today."

"Mert and Musaba will be left off the list"

Providing information about the changes to be made to the UEFA list, Tedesco said, "We have 5 players including Mert. We can add 3 to the list. Mert Günok will be off this list, and Musaba will also be off the list. I explained this to the player. The player took it with understanding. He told me he would always be ready for league and cup matches. As a head coach, you cannot ask for more than that."

"Having Guendouzi and Kante here is very good not only for Fenerbahçe but also for Turkish football"

Emphasizing that the new signings Matteo Guendouzi and N'Golo Kante are very good not only for Fenerbahçe but also for Turkish football, Tedesco said, "In my opinion, it is always difficult to play against France. It is difficult because they have players like Matteo and Kante. It is also difficult to defend against this team. These are names who have played for the French National Team in both the Nations League and the European Championship. They always play vertically. They have this quality within themselves and they trust it. They are also two wonderful people off the pitch. I have known Matteo for a longer time, and I met N'Golo today. You realize he is a good person as soon as you meet him. Their presence here is very good not only for Fenerbahçe but also for Turkish football."

"This process has affected Fred a lot"

Speaking about Fred's future at the club, the Italian manager said, "This process has affected Fred a lot. I spoke with the player both yesterday and today. I told him he would play today, and he was very happy. It is a difficult situation for the player. Fred is very well-liked by both his teammates and the staff. He also loves Fenerbahçe and Istanbul very much. They are completely focused on being here. This is very important for a club. His children go to school here. They love the traditions of this place. Likewise, he loves his teammates and the coaching staff. He is training incredibly well. There was a period where he didn't play much, but he didn't give up; he motivated his teammates. The situation we experienced and are still experiencing with Fred is that this process has affected him deeply. This situation is not fair."

"We want to win every tournament"

Speaking about Erzurumspor FK, Tedesco said they have the quality to win in Gaziantep to advance to the next round of the cup. The yellow-navy manager continued his words as follows:

"This is what we expected from our opponent. They have 10 wins in their last 11 matches. We analyzed them seriously, just as we do with every opponent. Matches like this can become difficult and dangerous. The cup is important to us; we want to win every tournament. Unfortunately, losing to Beşiktaş with a last-minute goal can create pressure for us to advance to the next round. We have the quality to win in Gaziantep, and we will do our best to achieve that."

News Source: 12punto