In Turkey's pre-match press conference ahead of the Europa League group stage match against Portugal, Turkish striker Aktilkoglu emphasized the importance of patience in the game and said his team will rely on team spirit to meet the challenge.
Aktürkoğlu mentioned that patience has been the main strategy of the Turkish team. He explained that although Turkey is a passionate country that wants everything to happen quickly, staying patient is the key to success on the soccer field. He recalled previous matches in which the Turkish team proved themselves by remaining patient even when the score was unfavorable.
Talking about the defensive strategy, Aktürkoğlu emphasized the importance of team defense. He mentioned that the opponents might use a three-back formation and that the Turkish team has already encountered similar situations in previous friendlies. He said that if the team can perform well in the first half, they need to be ready to deal with the opponent's possible change of tactics.
In addition, Aktürkoğlu thanked the fans for their support and hoped that the fans would wear the same white jerseys as the team during the game and work together to cheer on the Turkish team.
Finally, he talked about his dreams and the team's goals. Aktürkoğlu said that he felt the passion of Euro 2008 on TV as a child, and now he is standing on the field of Euro 2008 with a dream. He hopes that the Turkish team can surpass their Euro 2008 semi-final result because as a nation they are hungry for success.
