Shakhtar Donetsk Technical Director Arda Turan made statements after the friendly match they played against Bursaspor, one of the Trendyol 1st League teams. Turan, praising the 40,000-strong fan atmosphere at the match played at Atatürk Sports Complex Matlı Stadium, used the expressions, "A magnificent crowd, magnificent hospitality. What does it mean to play in front of 40,000 people in a friendly match? I am experiencing this for the first time. I had experienced it before in Barcelona. I told my players, 'It's Champions League level,' but even in the Champions League, they rarely see such a thing."
Turan, stating that Bursaspor is a magnificent team, said, "Today I saw a real football team with a system in front of me. That's why I congratulate coach Mustafa. It's not easy to build a team, to create a game philosophy. Since I know the impatience regarding this in our country, I want to express my support to him on this matter."
Turan listed Bursaspor President Enes Çelik and Trabzonspor President Ertuğrul Doğan among the managers he admires for their financial management.
Turan extended his congratulations to the Women's National Volleyball Team, congratulating the team that became champions by defeating Brazil 3-1 in the FIVB Nations League final. Turan said, "They made us proud once again. What can we say to them? They are an inspiration and an example to all of us. I send my heartfelt congratulations."
Turan, explaining that Bursaspor fought well, used the expressions, "I really liked their one-on-one pressing intensity in defense, their energy, their transitions in attack, the three-man play they built from the back, and their positioning. I didn't want to interfere with my players today. I wanted to see their solutions and their physical condition a bit. Because our camp is ongoing. We will take this risk for two weeks after the league starts. Because we have to be ready for the Champions League. We deliberately started 10 days late. As you know, because of the war, I gave my players time to spend with their families, so they could come back in a better psychological state."
Arda Turan, stating that Bursaspor has a good organization, said, "I have an interview from 2018 where I said, 'One championship is not enough for this crowd.' You have a crowd that never abandons you. I see that the whole city has come together, everyone is pitching in to solve all the problems. I see the president's unifying quality; he is young and has potential. You have a coach who tries new things, has ideas, and feels a sense of belonging here. I think many components are together. Perhaps, of course, I would very much want it, but promotion might not happen this year. Bursaspor will always remain great. What's important is to remain great as an organization. Because, frankly, I am experiencing the best examples of this at Shakhtar. So, as I said, my heart and prayers are with you."
Bursaspor Technical Director Mustafa Er, on the other hand, thanked Arda Turan for coming despite their tight schedule. Er, stating that there was a very beautiful ambiance, noted the following:
"Bringing such a team here is an achievement. Last year, they won the Ukrainian League very comfortably and played in the Conference League semi-finals. I'm not taking this as a serious benchmark, let me be clear. Even if today's score was 0-0, or if we lost, or even if we lost by a large margin, I would have said the same things. The game was important for us. We are not at that caliber or potential right now, but I always told my players, 'No matter who we play against, whether it's Süper Lig teams or a champion team, we will never give up, we will not quit, we will stick to the plan.' The Shakhtar match should remain a beautiful memory in our minds tonight, but we must forget this match."
Amine Boutrah, one of Bursaspor's new transfers, also thanked the fans, saying, "I greatly enjoyed being at Bursaspor, I took great pleasure. We played in our stadium, in an incredible atmosphere. I had truly never seen such an atmosphere in a pre-season friendly match throughout my career."
Bursaspor's Ertuğrul Ersoy, on the other hand, stated that they fought to reflect the game they wanted to play on the field, regardless of the opponent, and used the expressions, "I believe we have given signals of a game that will satisfy our fans in the league. Therefore, we think this match is a good start for us. Hopefully, this match will be a good motivation for us when we start the league in the period ahead."
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