Fenerbahçe will face Lille from Ligue 1 in the third round of the Champions League qualifiers. Before the game, Fenerbahçe coach Mourinho attended the press conference and answered questions about the team’s injuries, prospects for qualification, and season goals.
In the second round of qualifying against Lugano, Fenerbahçe’s Brazilian midfielder Fred left the game early due to injury. Mourinho believes his team has the ability to overcome the setbacks caused by injuries. Mourinho said: “No problem, we are in great shape. Currently, there is only Fred injured in the team. This is after we have completed 40 training sessions and played 7 games. This is my second time participating in the Champions League qualifiers, but it is the first time I have led a team to participate in the qualifiers in a season with European Championship and international games, which makes the preparation work twice as difficult because the players’ conditions are inconsistent. Some are still in the excitement of the European Championship, while some have not yet gotten into shape. We will not make excuses, but focus only on the next game. We want to participate in the Champions League group stage and win the Turkish Super League.”
Regarding their opponents, Lille, Mourinho did not show any fear, but instead showed his usual confidence. He said: “I hope we can win, although it will be difficult because Lille play very well. I watched their warm-up games against Wolfsburg and Celta, they are great, the coach is very capable, and they have many good players besides David. All in all, it is a difficult team to deal with, but for them, we are also difficult to deal with.”
So, after Fenerbahçe invested heavily this summer, did they give the coach and players instructions to make it to the Champions League group stage? To this, Mourinho replied: “The club has never told me (playing in the Champions League) is a must, but I think, for the reputation of the club, for Turkish football, and for the future of the players, being able to participate in the group stage is a good thing. If you ask me if Fenerbahçe can win the Champions League, I will say anything is possible, but I don’t believe in miracles. We have the ability to win the Europa League, but I prefer the Champions League. We have a difficult draw and we need to fight together, but don’t fight like France vs Argentina in the Olympics.”
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