Twente Coach Joseph Oosting made spoke to the media ahead of the match they will play against Fenerbahçe today in the second week of the UEFA Europa League. Oosting drew attention to the physical strength of The Yellow Canaries.
“They Have a Physically Strong Squad”
Speaking at the press conference held at the Twente Stadium, the 52-year-old coach spoke about when the two teams met last year.
Oosting, who stated that both clubs have improved themselves and that they will face each other in a higher league, said, “We want to continue the performance we showed against Manchester United last week. Manchester United may look down on us, but this is a better feeling for us. We played very well last week and we aim to continue that. They have a physically strong squad. They have a very important, world-famous coach. He knows very well what to expect from the players.“
“Mourinho is a Very Special Coach”
Oosting, who said that Fenerbahçe are a tough team in defensive duels, said the following:
“Fenerbahçe are a brave team. They are creative and fast up front. We are playing at home. We played well against them last year. Fenerbahçe are a very big club and Mourinho is a very special coach. He is a realistic person but I think we are the same. I watch every match, I try to get something out of every match. I am not a coward, I have great respect for Mourinho. I will shake hands with him tomorrow and say ‘welcome’ to him.
“When asked ‘Fenerbahçe or Manchester City’, I watch both, I like both. This year we feel closer to Fenerbahçe. We have improved ourselves, we did not finish third in Holland for nothing. We also have important weapons. It is nice to play at home. Our fans and our pitch are magnificent. I think we will have more chances with the support of the fans. In this game, the same squad we played against Manchester United will most likely be there again.”
Oosting, who emphasized that he made a mistake by playing with five last year but learned from his mistakes, said, “I have a lot of respect for Mourinho, he is a different character. I think how he expresses himself is very good. He does not see us as a weak team. He is a very well-prepared coach. He is well-prepared for Twente.”
Mourinho on Twente
Fenerbahçe’s Coach Jose Mourinho made the following pre-game assessment regarding the match:
“I can say that their strengths are being a team. They play as a team and you can see the work they have done behind this. They defend well, press well up front, and know how to retreat when necessary. They play in a compact and organized manner. Like every Dutch team, they enjoy playing with the ball. They want to have possession of the ball.
“They can also be very dangerous in counterattacks. Their players up front have good mobility. I prefer not to mention their weaknesses. We have been preparing for this match since Sunday, we have had a few days. We could not do high-intensity work because we played a difficult match in the league. But at least we know what we need to do tactically.”
Mourinho vs. Dutch Teams
Finally, when reminded of the winning statistics against Dutch teams, Mourinho said the following:
“I have won those matches against Dutch teams in the past because I was coaching good teams. I played against Ajax four times when I was at Real Madrid. You expect to win in such a match. It has nothing to do with me or the Dutch teams. It has everything to do with the potential of the teams. Those matches were also difficult, not easy. Only the Ajax-Real Madrid match and the Manchester United-Ajax final were easy. Other than that, all the ones I played in were difficult.
“I lost to Feyenoord very recently. I think tomorrow will be tough too. I like winning, I do not like losing. Dutch teams are always tough. They are very organised, they play very well, they are technically very high level, they have quality, especially when they play at home and there is fan support, these matches are very tough. This year we were paired with both Twente and AZ in the group. We will play both of them away. If you ask ‘Are you happy with this situation?’, no I am not. Just the fact that the airport is an hour away from here is difficult for us.“
A Few Words from Youri Regeer
Twente’s young midfielder Youri Regeer said they want to repeat the performance they showed against Manchester United.
“Last year, we were down to ten men in our match, I had received a red card. We lost 5-1 but we were down to ten men. Everything changed with the red card. We improved ourselves well and we are ready for the match. Last week’s match was a great feeling, we will try to show the same football. When I first heard about Fenerbahçe in the draw, I thought they were a good opponent. I did not think about last year, that happened and it was over. We have to continue.
“I just have to do my job on the field. I am improving myself as a player. I am in better shape this year. Our atmosphere has always been good, and we got good points. We know we will be better and we are focusing on that. It is normal for me to be the name that gets the most playing time in the team because I know my capacity. I am a versatile player. I feel comfortable both in midfield and right back.”
