Orkun Kökçü's derby comments: 'I cleared my head after the Fenerbahçe match'

Sharing the joy of the National Team qualifying for the World Cup after a 24-year hiatus, Orkun Kökçü discussed his experiences both at the club and national level, as well as his thoughts on the upcoming derby.

Orkun Kökçü described the atmosphere before the critical match against Fenerbahçe as follows: "There is some fatigue. It has been a difficult week. We played two very important matches. There was inevitably pressure on the whole team. We wanted to qualify for the World Cup after a 24-year wait, and we succeeded. We are proud and happy. This gave me extra motivation."

Ahead of the derby to be played in Kadıköy in the 28th week of the Süper Lig, the captain of the black-and-whites stated that their national success has also had a positive reflection on his club career.

''WE TALKED AFTER THE GOAL''

Speaking about the events of the national team's last match, Kökçü recounted the moment he shared with Kerem Aktürkoğlu during the Kosovo match with these words:

"We talked a bit after the goal. The curve was very strange. The pitch was also a bit bad, it went bouncing. Since the ball was spinning, I said to myself, 'Maybe if Kerem hadn't touched it, it would have hit the post and gone in,' but why take the risk? In the end, we all want to go to the World Cup. Kerem touched it, and I was only worried about offside there. It didn't really matter who scored. I don't get angry in such a situation. I just asked Kerem if he was offside. That's all."

“BEING BEŞİKTAŞ CAPTAIN IS ALSO A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR MY FAMILY”

Expressing that he was a Beşiktaş fan in his childhood and that wearing the black-and-white jersey as captain for the first time meant a great deal to him and his family, Kökçü said, "As everyone knows, my dream as a child was to wear the Beşiktaş jersey. I grew up with dreams of captaincy and championships at Beşiktaş... Being the Beşiktaş captain is very proud for both me and my family. There is extra happiness when I go out for matches. I want to do everything for this badge."

Touching on his bond with his former coach Sergen Yalçın, the national footballer said, "I grew up with legends like Sergen Yalçın and Şifo Mehmet. My uncles would always tell me about them. I was very excited when he became my coach. I believed I would definitely learn something. And that's how it happened. Coach Sergen takes great interest in me. There are those who write that my relationship with coach Sergen is bad here and there. Nothing like that has ever happened, and it never will. Our relationship is very good."

Stating that he had difficulty adapting to Beşiktaş in the early stages of his career, Kökçü said, "When I came to Beşiktaş, I wanted to reciprocate the love shown to me. However, I couldn't do it the right way at first. I was too ambitious and tried to do extra things. Because of this, I couldn't adapt. I cleared my head after the Fenerbahçe match. I solved this within myself."

When asked how he coped with criticism, Kökçü emphasized the support of experienced coach Sergen Yalçın and said: "When I first arrived and there was criticism, Coach Sergen called me into his office and talked to me. He said, 'Don't get hung up on what's written.' He said if you get hung up, you can't perform as you want. Because coach Sergen doesn't care either. He told me about the experiences he had in his own time. That relaxed me. Hearing the experiences of a legendary player is very comforting. You can understand what you will face. He stood by me a lot after the Fenerbahçe match. I love my coach Sergen very much."

“IN DERBIES, WHOEVER WANTS IT MORE WINS”

Sharing his views on the critical derby to be played against Fenerbahçe, the Beşiktaş midfielder assessed, "Derbies are difficult matches. The opponent is also high-quality. Every match has a different story. Whoever wants it more wins the match. The struggle, quality, and performance you put in are very important. This applies to both sides. Since we don't know before the match, these types of matches are more enjoyable. We are waiting, that is."

At the end of his words, emphasizing that beyond his individual goals, he is trying to be worthy of the team's success and the fans, Orkun Kökçü stated that he is focused on reflecting his best on the field without being affected by the rumors written and drawn.

News Source: 12punto