Solskjaer responds to question about foreign referees

In the 3rd week match of the Ziraat Turkish Cup Group D, Beşiktaş defeated Antalyaspor 2-1 away from home to advance to the quarterfinals.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Beşiktaş manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer emphasized the importance of the victory and praised the character shown by his team.

Solskjaer said, "We started the match very well today and found a good goal. After the first goal, I personally thought we would score more and break the game open. I thought we would create more opportunities. But in a sense, we slowed the game down and gave our opponent chances. Since they are a team built with good players like Antalyaspor, even if they weren't there, if you give your opponent that opportunity and time, they can find a score. The match became 1-1 because we gave our opponent an opportunity; after the equalizer, we increased the tempo of the game again. We won the match, we are happy."

"I AM PROUD"

Solskjaer stated that the time they spent in Antalya was extremely positive for the team. Expressing his satisfaction with their stay in Antalya, the experienced manager said, "We had a wonderful stay in Antalya. The hotel staff were very hospitable. It was truly moving to see the hotel staff applaud us as we boarded the bus on match day. This is an indicator of how our players and our team treat people. I am proud to represent the values of Beşiktaş."

Emphasizing that the decision to hold a training camp in Antalya was the right one, considering the heavy snowfall in Istanbul, Solskjaer said, "Sometimes we have to make such decisions for the good of the team. The Antalya camp was very productive both in terms of weather conditions and team morale."

"I HAVE POSITIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE REFEREES"

Answering questions regarding the recent debate over foreign referees, the Norwegian manager stated that he does not focus on these issues, saying, "I am only focused on Beşiktaş. My focus is only on my own team, our own values. How can we improve ourselves? How can we be better every day, day by day? That is what I am dealing with. That is my focus. Because we have remained a bit far from the top in the standings. As for the experience, in the process I have lived here so far, I have had very good experiences with the referees. I have positive thoughts about them."

News Source: İHA