Okan Buruk: We pushed it to the highest level

In the third week of the UEFA Champions League, Galatasaray defeated Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 3-1 at home. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk said, "We started the match very well. We gave our opponent one clear chance in the first half."

Overall, we had a first half where we could have increased the score even further. Our pressing in the final third was accurate. We were also comfortable when we had the ball. In the second half, our opponent played with the ball more than we did; they took risks. With the substitutions we made after going 3-0 up, we both created chances and defended correctly against the opponent."

We conceded some chances and let in one goal. The expected goals, our presence in the penalty area, and scoring 3 goals in a Champions League match—all of these show that we did very good work offensively. We knew our opponent's game. We had said they were a team that keeps possession and plays out from the back. They tried that. We scored 3 goals with the right pressure. It was a beautiful night. It was very valuable for Turkish football. The pressure we applied together with our fans was incredible. We did very well in the Liverpool match. Today, together with our fans, we pushed our performance to the highest level. We fought together, we went to the opponent's goal together, and we defended together. I thank our fans," he said.

"WE DREAMED OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE"

Stating that looking at the standings after a win provides a psychological boost, Buruk said, "Our first goal is the top 8. We have played 3 matches, and we have 5 more to go. We need to start by setting the target as high as possible, wherever we can go. If the goal isn't the top 8, then it's to be in the top 16. We dreamed of the Champions League. I dreamed it, our president dreamed it, and our board of directors dreamed it. If they hadn't dreamed this, they wouldn't have built such a valuable squad. Everyone said 'Europe' this year. My first goal is the Göztepe match. We will do our best to represent our country in the best way possible by taking it one match at a time. I also wish success to our other teams that will compete in Europe," he said.

When asked about some fans reacting to Barış Alper Yılmaz as he was being substituted, the yellow-red manager said, "Barış is a valuable and important player for us. You see the football he displayed in the Liverpool match. It is much harder to experience this when you are winning. It is hard to make sense of it. It is not a large group, but the group that does this needs to think. He is our player, and we are leading 3-0. These players are fighting by giving their all. Today, we played very well as a team. Experiencing these things is the sad part. The main thing we should talk about is how we fought together. There are also Galatasaray fans who do this. One should talk about and interpret today's atmosphere in general, rather than focusing on a minority. It is important and valuable for them to support our players. We gain meaning with them. To push our successes higher, we need to be more united. We need to show this clearly," he expressed.

Speaking about the atmosphere created by the Galatasaray fans, Okan Buruk said, "We experienced this in the previous match as well. It is not specific to today. We experienced a similar atmosphere in the Liverpool match. Our ears are used to it. We didn't have much difficulty. For the Bodo/Glimt players who experienced such an atmosphere, this evening is also a beautiful memory. Playing football in such an atmosphere is a great experience. It is nice for both teams to have had such an experience," he said.

"IT SHOWS HOW MUCH THEY EMBRACE THE TEAM"

Regarding Nigerian footballer Victor Osimhen, who scored 2 goals in the match, Buruk commented: "He had great positioning for the goals and won the ball back well. Aside from his goals, we could have found 2 more goals through his pressing in the final third. There was a moment where he passed to Yunus; he could have shot himself there. Strikers usually want to score more and can be selfish. As you saw in that play, Osimhen also thought about his teammate scoring. This shows how much he cares for the team. He is an elite center-forward. We said this at the beginning of the season; when we look at the transfers made this year, we could even say that the 75 million Euros paid for Osimhen is very normal, perhaps even low. In Europe, 100, 120, or 140 million are being paid. His current performance is in that direction. I hope he will continue in the same way."

Stating that there is an expectation of success in Europe not only from their own fans but from all of Turkey due to the squad Galatasaray has built, the yellow-red manager said: "No team starts the Champions League saying 'I will definitely be the champion.' Reaching that trophy is very difficult. If we remember last year, even teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City barely made it into the top 24 in the final matches. It is not an easy tournament. We need to set our goals day by day. The first goal is to advance to the next round. Our goal is to represent Turkey in the best way possible in the Champions League."

"I RESPECT THEM"

Conveying that he is very close to his players, Buruk concluded his words by saying: "I have to touch everyone. I value them very much and I respect them. They have a share in this success. I also extend my get-well wishes to Torreira and his father. It is difficult to play under these circumstances. I think we should talk about how much Torreira loves the team, how much he values the team, and that he wanted to play in this match despite everything. This applies to many players, it applies to Osimhen, and it applies to Icardi. They only prioritize Galatasaray's success. They want to make people happy. We should talk more about the dedication of my players and how much they take ownership of the team rather than about me. Galatasaray fans give them this value."

News Source: 12punto