The Italian coach said the following in his statement:
"The penalty given to Merih was not fair. It was not a political gesture. It was just a gesture that was not understood correctly. This will not curb Turkish pride. We will take the field with even more desire. Everyone will be extremely motivated. This also applies to the fans.
"I AM PROUD OF ALL OF THEM"
Every match is different, and every match has a different strategy. You cannot always field the best 11. Every player knows what they need to do. I am proud of all of them. When you reach this level, there is no such thing as an ideal 11. The coach's role is to take responsibility for everything. That is why we have to accept criticism. If you cannot handle criticism, you cannot be a head coach.
"OUR FANS ARE WONDERFUL"
Our fans are wonderful. They have always shown us their enthusiasm. We expect the same enthusiasm tomorrow. We played a match against Germany in November. The entire stadium was filled with Turkish fans. I think it will be like that tomorrow as well.
Three of our players are suspended. This is not something that happens all the time, but the players on the bench have also always played great matches. That is why I am always calm. I cannot reveal which system we will play with right now. The only thing I will say is that Kaan Ayhan will start as the first choice, but we will see. I do not look at other teams; I only care about my own team."
News Source: AA
