Trabzonspor Manager Abdullah Avcı: We will try to build a balanced team that plays a bit more aggressively and quickly on the pitch

Manager Abdullah Avcı, who signed a two-year contract with the burgundy-blue club, made statements regarding the current agenda during his first press conference at Papara Park in his new term.

Starting his remarks with comments on the attacks on Gaza, Avcı said, "The Israel-Palestine process is a situation the world is experiencing with sensitivity. There are no winners in a war where children and innocent people are killed. We strongly condemn this. I hope the world approaches this with common sense and finds a solution as soon as possible, which would bring relief to the world and to us as well. I have been very distressed since yesterday. We wondered whether we should hold this press conference, but we came here. Matches will start this week. I thought it would be good at least for the sake of mutual communication."

Avcı also responded to the criticism that the team "played mostly with lateral passes," which was one of the most criticized issues during his departure process from the team:

"We will continue to play lateral and back passes (laughing). That is a good question, thank you. From the 2021-22 season, the season we became champions, until March 10, 2023, the season I left, Trabzonspor ranked first in Turkey in vertical passing and in the third zone, the opponent's penalty area. Teams like Bayern Munich, City, Barcelona, PSG, and Napoli are also first in lateral passing and first in vertical passing. You have to play lateral passes to be able to play vertically. You have to do this to find that gap. I am presenting this to you with data. Big, dominant teams play by possessing the ball. There are new formations within this, such as speeding this up, winning the ball back where it was lost, having more possession, and playing wider. The players will determine this; we will try to do this faster and with more intensity."

"I know 55 percent of the team"

Stating that he followed the matches while he was away from the team, Abdullah Avcı said, "Of course, I followed Trabzonspor's matches. I thank the departing coach Nenad. He certainly left behind some positive data. We have our findings. We have findings regarding how Trabzonspor should play. 55 percent are players I have worked with before, and 45 percent are players I do not know and am trying to get to know during training sessions. We are getting to know them and communicating with them by spending more time together."

Emphasizing that they will aim to be in the race again, Avcı said, "We experienced very beautiful emotions here with you and the fans. I never forget the process when we set sail. We will put this back into action, step by step, in a pragmatic way with planning. Success is not a result; success is a process. We will continue to do this step by step. Our emotions are very intense; we will balance them. We will try to build a balanced team on the pitch that plays a bit more aggressively and quickly."

"There is no pressure on me"

Expressing that they will always need the support of the fans, Avcı remarked, "We broke records and won trophies here in 2 years and 4 months. It is in the club's history, not just something achieved during my tenure. This city and this geography are like that. I don't feel any pressure because we have already achieved things. From Monday evening onwards, I hope our fans continue their support. We said it back then too: we attacked together, we defended together. Everyone is happy when Trabzonspor wins. I know this and I am aware of it. There is no pressure, and we will do our planning accordingly. Neither Trabzonspor's goals nor mine will ever end."

Commenting on the quality of the competition in the league, Avcı said the following:

"Of course, some teams have built good squads with high-cost players. But there will still be break points for some teams. We will catch the habit of winning matches and see where that takes us. In the 2020-2021 season, we went from 17th place to 4th. We will try to do the same this year. In other words, we will try to establish a winning habit. Let us win, qualify for European competitions, and we have the Turkish Cup ahead of us, which is a very important goal. While doing these, we will also plan for the next season. We started this as of today."

When asked about his previous comments during his departure process, which were interpreted as implying a 'mole' within the team, Avcı replied, "Everyone is here to serve Trabzonspor. This service is best performed through institutions. These types of issues are decisions for the management to make; I only convey my thoughts and feelings. When I arrived and entered the club, I felt as if I hadn't left. I felt like I had just gone away for an international break. Let's not use the word 'mole'. It is a very heavy phrase. I did not use such a sentence. Serving the institution is something we all must do. The brand is very important to us."

Avcı made the following statement regarding his previous remarks during his departure process, where he said, "There is a diseased structure in the team that I cannot change.":

"The 'diseased' situation was a comment made in a tactical and gameplay sense. I try many things, in terms of play and players. I try formations. Sometimes we got the response. Sometimes we would beat a serious opponent and get a bad result the following week. There are many things we question, both in terms of play and players. Perhaps excessive self-confidence became a problem. The players brought in were not bad players. They were all national team players. But the organization had not settled. We had to use midfielders as wingers. We received responses to this from time to time. We are currently working on a game plan regarding the players. We are creating a game plan suitable for them."

"Pepe is a player who will win us matches"

Stating that it is not yet clear whether Pepe will be able to play in the Alanyaspor match, Avcı said, "Pepe was a player we knew. He didn't have a pre-season camp; he worked individually for 15 days. Then he suffered an injury after joining the team. He has started to join the team step-by-step since yesterday. He is a special player. He will win us matches; we will prepare him in the best way possible without getting him injured. On Sunday, we will talk to the medical board and make a decision regarding this player, whether he can play or not."

Stating that Onuachu and Mendy are high-quality names, Avcı said, "Onuachu and Mendy are good players who elevate the team's quality. Their energy and personal character are very high. Together with those we already know, we want to present our philosophy to our players again and take the field on Sunday in a more complete and healthy manner."

"I do not sign contracts with players"

Underlining that he is not directly involved in transfer processes, Avcı said, "There is a perception as if I am the one signing the contracts. I am not even aware of the details. I identify players; I do not sign contracts with them. I spoke with Hamsik and Visca. My job is to convince the player, explain the game, establish communication, and describe the club's stature and goals. The other side is not my job. I cannot sign contracts. I express my opinion about a player. If the club finds it appropriate, they sign them."

Expressing that he did not want Nwakaeme to leave the team, Avcı said, "We wanted Nwakaeme to stay here, and he wanted to stay as well. But there were issues regarding the figures. When my name was mentioned with the national team, he called the interpreter Ercan and said, 'I played in Turkey, he can take me.' When he arrived, he made a very nice post. Our relationship with him is very good."

Speaking about Bakasetas, who was injured while with the national team, Avcı said, "I haven't spoken to Bakasetas yet. Coach Egemen spoke with him. He will arrive on Monday morning, his own doctor will see him, and then his treatment will continue. A 4-week period is being discussed regarding his injury, but he is ambitious, we will see."

Evaluating the departure process of Yusuf Sarı, who drew attention with his performance at Adana Demirspor, Avcı said, "When Yusuf first arrived, he had one year left on his contract. We wanted to extend his contract, but it didn't happen. I was the one who first sent him to the national team. The year we became champions, he said 'I want to play' and went to Rizespor. Adana Demirspor suits him. We remember Yusuf here with fond memories. He has also shown development."

"No one is bigger than Trabzonspor"

Emphasizing that their primary goal is to win a series of matches in a short time, Avcı said the following:

"I identify the players, but I don't know the budgets or the figures. In the season we became champions, we made 20 million euros in sales. We also sold Ahmetcan and Cornelius. I don't know how the other contracts were made. Most of the players who came during that period were national team players. Sometimes you change a city, and a player cannot perform. An perception is being created as if I did it. I have intervened in some cases regarding players, saying these figures are not appropriate. No one is bigger than Trabzonspor. The one that is big, the one that is a brand, is Trabzonspor. Everyone needs to respect that. I expressed a technical situation regarding the unhealthy structure. There is a technical issue related to this. We will do our best to change it. I am here to change the unhealthy structure. As of now, our primary goal is to win matches quickly and regain the habit of winning."

Stating that he wants to bring up many players from the youth academy, Avcı said, "My thoughts on the youth academy and Trabzonspor are clear. We brought in a team from abroad for training purposes there. But while Trabzonspor is competing, we need to ensure the adaptation when players come up from below. The more players I can bring out from the Trabzonspor youth academy and play, the more it contributes to my CV."

Regarding whether the transfers of Mendy and Onuachu were within his knowledge, Abdullah Avcı commented, "I have no information about the transfer process regarding Mendy and Onuachu. There is an extremely healthy image in these transfers. Berat is a player I know. His presence here makes me happy."

News Source: 12punto