"We are Galatasaray and we do not care who we face": Buruk issues warning to Barcelona
The coach draws strength from his stadium
Okan Buruk has raised the stakes before Galatasaray face Barcelona in the Champions League, insisting his side will not sit back despite the quality of the opposition. The Turkish coach stressed that playing in front of their own supporters gives his players the motivation to take on the title favourites.
Barcelona travel to Istanbul tomorrow, Tuesday, with Galatasaray looking to use home advantage and their crowd to leave a mark in Europe. The Turkish side lost 3-1 to Sporting Lisbon in their previous match.
Buruk, 52, conceded Barcelona may be the best team in the world right now and that many will back them to win. He is not short on belief, though, and says Galatasaray will go into the game with great confidence in their abilities.
"We are Galatasaray, and we will be playing at home, so regardless of the line-up we go into the match with, we have to be attacking," the Turkish coach said. "We will not settle for defending against Barcelona, we will attack as well."
Gundogan waits for his chance against Barcelona
Ilkay Gundogan's situation also came up, the Germany international and former Barcelona man having sat on the bench during the 3-1 win over Kasimpasa last Friday. That decision raised questions about his role in the team.
His coach was quick to defend him, praising Gundogan's commitment in training and his readiness to play despite missing out on minutes in the last match.
Buruk said: "Ilkay always gives his very best in training, and he is ready and waiting to play. We made attacking changes on Friday, and we cannot bring on a large number of players at the same time. All of the team's players have a great character and love the club, and we should not misunderstand what Ilkay did. I am very satisfied with him."
Leaving players out carries a psychological cost, the Galatasaray boss admitted, recalling his own days as a player and pointing out that football is not free of human emotion.
He explained: "I come from the world of football as a player, and we have all been through situations like this. Players are not machines, they are human beings with conflicting emotions. Gundogan did not play, and he did not even come onto the pitch after warming up on the touchline. If I were in his position, I would feel sad, and perhaps I would show it at times, but we should not overthink these matters."
Praise for Russian star Alexey Batrakov
Russia's Alexey Batrakov also drew warm words. The 21-year-old joined Galatasaray from Lokomotiv Moscow last August for 25 million euros.
Buruk admires both the player's potential and his professional attitude, reckoning that his hunger to improve and work hard is helping him settle quickly into the system.
"We signed him because he is an excellent footballer," the coach said. "He is a true professional and a wonderful person, and he is open to developing and working hard. Working with a player like him is important to me, and we all like him a great deal."
Batrakov has adapted quickly to the team's style of play, he added, and he is happy with the midfielder's level and contribution. Working with players who constantly seek to develop, Buruk stressed, is an important element in Galatasaray's project.
