He had asked 'Who is İsmail Kartal?': İsmail Kartal's response to Sumudica!

Fenerbahçe visited Gaziantep FK in the Turkish Cup Round of 16.

The Yellow-Navies defeated their opponent 2-0 with goals from Michy Batshuayi, securing their place in the quarterfinals.

Following the match, Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal responded to Gaziantep FK manager Marius Sumudica, who had targeted him after their league match.

İsmail Kartal: I AM SAYING THIS AGAIN TODAY

In his statement, İsmail Kartal said, "Two weeks ago, I mentioned here that the pitch conditions were poor. I am saying this again today. It is very difficult to play football on this poor surface. King sprained his ankle. It is unclear when he will return. Our goal is to elevate football. How are the players of both teams supposed to play football? The players complained in the locker room. Bonucci came and said, 'Coach, my foot is swollen, I cannot play.' Let there be better pitches so we can improve our football. Despite the poor pitch, we played a good game. I congratulate my players."

"I DO NOT WANT TO ENGAGE"

During the press conference, when asked by a journalist about Sumudica's remark after the match played in Gaziantep on the 20th week of the Super Lig, where he said, "We can play wherever Fenerbahçe wants," Kartal stated, "I do not want to give an answer regarding him; I do not want to engage."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Following the match played in the league, regarding İsmail Kartal's criticism of the pitch, Sumudica had said, "İsmail Kartal needs to respect this pitch. A manager should not be talking about the pitch. I don't know why he is talking about these things; if they want, and if they get permission from the federation, we can play there. We are playing on this pitch after all. From a professional standpoint, a manager should not be concerned with the pitch. We play on this pitch, and he must accept playing on it too. Now we are going to Sivas and will play in sub-zero temperatures, and the pitch will be bad. If we lose points, will that be our excuse? We respect all managers; this is our stadium, and İsmail Kartal will respect that as well."

News Source: 12punto