Galatasaray coach Okan Bulku commented, touching on an important topic while assessing the challenges facing his team ahead of the season.
Galatasaray manager Okan Bulku has spoken about his concerns ahead of the new season. Okan Bulku made the statement on Tbilisi Sports.
Here is Okan Buruk’s statement:
“For us, the Champions League qualifiers, the league games, the cup games… It was an 11-month marathon where winning blew away my tiredness. We had winning streaks of 10 and 17 games. The Champions League was a great experience. Galatasaray brought its name back to Europe.” It was a reminder: the Manchester United win, the Bayern Munich game… No team had ever been able to play in the Champions League and be successful in the league. I think we will do more of this next year.
We became champions with a record of 102 points, which had never happened before in Turkey. When we became champions with Başakşehir, we won with 69 points. We won 102 points and became a topic of conversation in Europe. I hope the next championship will be more significant. “My goal is my 25th championship and five stars.”
Season’s Match Report
“Against Kasimpasa we won 4-3 with a last-minute goal, against Karagümlük we won with a last-minute goal from Berkan. We won difficult away games. We won away games against Besiktas and Trabzonspor. Against Konya we started very clearly and I said in my heart that we will definitely win this game.”
Fenerbahce’s defeat
“I think going into the game six points down lowered the atmosphere for us. I didn’t get that from the players before the game, but those things can happen. The motivation of the opposing team was not to put Galatasaray at the top of the table. By the way, they were motivated by the idea that they had missed out on their game, but I think it was the worst thing for all of us going into that game.”
Icardi’s comments
“The Besiktas match was before Bayern Munich. From that moment until the end of the season, Icardi was hardly at 100%. It was two years since Icardi started the season with us. The pre-season camp is very important for a player, and we have to be careful not to lose him. We have to be very careful with our team,” he said. “We can’t be without Icardi, even if he was on the field 50 percent of the season.”
Did an error occur during the transfer?
“A year ago, the season ended late. We started it straight away with pre-selection. It would be great if the transfers are 100 percent successful. In such a big squad you need 15-16. “Whether all the transfers are successful is of course debatable. We built the framework based on the players from the previous season. Angelino is a player I like a lot. That’s pressure. Players can change, and Kerem Demirbay’s second-half performance and the late transfers of Davinson Sanchez and Zaha contributed to some extent.”
Zaha’s representative position
“I like Zaha, he’s an emotional player. He’s been outside England for the first time and he’s made some important contributions for us. I think it was very fair with the jersey. I always think the best player will play.” Seven Premier League players were waiting in the shed.
Championship Race
“If you tell me why Fenerbahçe did not take part in the Super Cup, I would understand. No one knows why they did not take part. After 10 years of not being champions, what can you say to your own fans? I think it is a joy. It is justified to beat Galatasaray after two years. It is an important victory to win with 10 men. “In fact, they all say it is unfair. If Fenerbahçe beat me, I have to reach out and congratulate them, but if you consider that match a championship match, it will be a strange situation. “
Champions League Goals
“Our wish is for both teams to qualify for the Champions League. The importance of winning is more pronounced in the new format. The three points are much more important. I like that we have a formula to win a little more. For example, last year,” Bayern Munich also rotated in the match against Copenhagen, but this is the end of it. “The fight will continue until the game. 24 out of 36 teams are continuing. I think our experience is higher. Of course, it’s a team that plays together. It’s very important.”
Euro 2024
“I’m going to one or two games to watch my players and support my country. I’m going to the match against Portugal. We have five players. I trust the team and the coach. I scored the first goal for Turkey in the match. Then I went to Inter. There were goalkeepers Toldo and Materazzi there, and I used my height to score a goal (laughs). I talked to them about maybe the last friendly match was not good. It’s the national team, but I think we can do well in the tournament.
“It’s also good for the national team that Barış Alper is versatile. He played left-back rather than right-back. This type of player has benefited us.”
Will Kerem Aktılkoğlu continue in his role?
“I want to continue with Kerem. He is one of the captains of the team and has had a big share in both championships. Sometimes he gets upset when he is not given his due. He is not afraid to succeed. “I would like Kerem to continue, but he always had European dreams. It was a package of 30 to 35 million, but we managed to close it because it was very important for the club.”
Relocation Plan
“We were interested in Zeki during half-time. At that time he said he wanted to continue. We didn’t have any meetings during this transfer period. We didn’t have any meetings with Yusuf Yazici. I heard he was also thinking about it.” The left foot of players from other countries is very quality. I didn’t know he said “Come to Galatasaray” (laughs). It’s not easy to buy a player from him. Manchester United, but these players are the ones we always follow and study. “As I said before, such transfers are not easy.”
Could this be a new challenge for Jose Mourinho?
“I didn’t see it as a new challenge. I focus on my own success, not on the success of my opponents. We became champions with 102 points because we focused on our own success. Mourinho’s work in Turkey is very valuable. He has played two games. “I think Besiktas’ transfer to Van Bronckhorst is very important, even though he has not been in the championship race for the last three years. As for , Besiktas has already brought in a very successful manager and it is clear that all four teams will be aggressive.”
Champions League Dreams
“On the one hand, we think about how we can compete with teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City and become champions. On the other hand, when we play against these teams, we know that we can compete. For example, this year Dortmund came close to winning that cup competition, but I don’t think there is a big difference between us and Dortmund. Let’s not lose hope.”
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