Domenico Tedesco: We put character, everyone is ready, in the moment

Fenerbahçe played Nice in the 2nd week of UEFA Europa League and won the match with a score of 2-1. Before this match, Fenerbahçe had played Nice 5 times with 2 wins and 3 defeats. Fenerbahce won 2 of those matches in Istanbul and were the superior side in today's clash.

The two teams met in the European Champion Clubs Cup in the 1959-1960 season and in the UEFA Cup in the 1973-1974 season.

WHAT DID TEDESCO SAY?

While the Sarı-Lacivertliler scored 3 points in their first home match in "Cup 2", coach Domenico Tedesco made evaluations to TRT after the match.

The German coach said the following:

"It was a good win for us. We have taken a step forward in many ways. We are improving in terms of the character of the team in the game, the confidence, the position on the pitch. To improve you need positive moments, you need goals. I'm happy that Kerem scored goals, I'm happy with the players who came on in the second half, everyone is ready, in the moment. This is a good indicator."

"CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE!"

"We continued with the 11 of the previous match. We talked about the importance of stability after the Zagreb match. It is necessary to develop stability. Confidence is hard to build and takes time. When we play every 3-4 days, we can't play in the starting 11 every game. Asencio had the flu yesterday, he didn't have a high fever, but his playing was a question mark. He played for 60 minutes and the one who replaced him was ready to contribute. That was also important. We also have to trust the players coming off the bench. They can also contribute. Trust, trust, trust!"

Fenerbahçe Technical Director Domenico Tedesco answered the questions at the press conference held after the match.

"I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE PREPARATION PERIOD"

First of all, Tedesco was asked about the poor performance in the second half against Nice and whether this was related to the preparation period, "I have no idea about the preparation period. The reason for our drop was the team's violent play in the first half. The team did a lot of sprints and changes of direction. When you play games like that, I think the reason for the performance is normal. Marco didn't train yesterday, he didn't have a fever, we decided to play him but at 60 his battery was dead. Whoever plays, they play well and contribute to the team. The tempo increased again with those who came into the game and this is an important thing for me."

"THE TEAM PERFORMED WELL FOR THE 2ND TIME IN A ROW"

When reminded that Antalyaspor match was a reference match for him, the Italian coach said, "It is not easy when you play a match every 3-4 days. Sunday's match was a reference match. Including the whole team, you saw how those who came into the game later on performed. Today the team performed well for the second time in a row. This instills confidence on the pitch, you build character, you perform. Sometimes you can't do what you want. You can do it by showing consistency in a row. We talked about Kerem yesterday. He scored 2 goals today. I'm happy for him, I'm happy for the fans and they created a great atmosphere in the stands."

"I AM HAPPY THAT KEREM IS AT F.GARDEN"

When asked about his former player Nkunku and Nene, Tedesco said: "It is difficult to compare 2 players. Nene is also a young player. He needs to play matches and gain confidence. We want to progress step by step. Actually, we started with the idea that the opponent would play with 3. When we took the field, we saw that they played with 4. Even if Kerem doesn't score a goal, you can see his tempo, his pressure, how much he helps in the field. But we had to take him off when he ran out of energy. He is a top player. I'm happy he's at Fenerbahce. We want everyone in the team to be fit. We need everyone in the team. Because we have a lot of matches ahead of us."

"I WANT TO HAVE THE BALL"

Speaking about the change from the day he came to the team to today and the feedback he received from the players, Tedesco said, "It's hard to make a comparison. 7 days ago everything was very bad. Now everything looks very good. When we lost the Zagreb game, everything was not so bad, and today, when we won, everything is not so good. If a player plays well I tell him, if he plays badly I tell him. I tell him that he needs to improve here. Some of these improvements happen fast. The team is improving. It's good that we have confidence in the last games. I will always be there when the players need me, we have to work hard. We are a great team, we have a great technical team."

Talking about his football idea, Tedesco said, "Our defense line is first. My idea of football is to press in front. We want to have the ball. I want to have the ball. While doing this, we have advantages as well as disadvantages. Because when you press up front you waste energy. Sometimes you can do that and sometimes you can't. Sometimes it depends on the opponent. When the opponent pushes you back, you have to find solutions. You have to reposition and find solutions. It is important to do that but it depends on many things."

THE FIRST GOAL IS VERY IMPORTANT

To the question "Did you think that Nice lacked confidence and that they might fall apart after the first 30 minutes?", the 40-year-old coach said: "We analyzed Nice's last 5-6 matches. They are a very strong team. A team that wins air balls and can win second balls. It was important for us to score the first goal. We pressed in front to prevent that from happening. If we let them play, they could cause problems because they are a good team. They have a good technical director and good players."

FRED QUESTION

Regarding Fred's substitution, Tedesco said:

"Just because he is at the club doesn't mean there is a problem. If I play with the same 11, I would be criticized as to why you play with the same 11. If I change 11 too often, you can say why did you change it. There are winners and losers in this game. Fred is definitely not a loser. I always say this to my players; 'A manager shows that he trusts the players he puts in the starting 11. When he puts them in later, he shows that he trusts them more because he thinks they will contribute to the team with their qualities. It is never easy to decide who plays. Fred is a great person, a great professional and that's how we have to decide. We have many games ahead of us and he is an important player for us."