Stamford Bridge message from Arda Turan: 'I had an iconic night here'

Arda Turan made a statement at the press conference held at Stamford Bridge before the match against Greece's AEK team in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Turan, upon being reminded that they beat Chelsea in 2014 with Atletico Madrid and reached the Champions League final, said, "It is a very iconic stadium, a historical stadium. I had an iconic night here. I hope that what I experienced and will experience in this stadium continues with the same positivity. Tomorrow, I expect a performance from my players close to the performance I showed years ago. If they want to play rondo with me, they should do this tomorrow."

"WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES AND OUR SYSTEM"

Stating that big teams need to establish their own systems in order to win trophies and success in the long term, the 39-year-old coach said, "Therefore, if we can achieve success, we must do this without compromising our own game. Of course, we will make minor tactical changes and measures. We should not be defeated by our ego when it comes to tactics. We believe in ourselves and our system. Because we worked hard for this. Maybe you remember, we woke up at six in the morning."

In response to the question about what he did to ensure that they played their home matches at Stamford Bridge and that the players' focus did not shift to the war, Arda Turan said:

"I don't do anything, they taught me everything. Not to make excuses, to fight... I have a wonderful team. I don't speak only for my players, but for many people in Ukraine. That's why I say this all the time and I will say it whenever I have the opportunity, we do not dramatize it. There is war in Ukraine, children are dying. We can live it, but we do not accept it. Those people taught me this. When we come here, we try to look at the positive side. We live dreaming of the days when one day we will play at home in Ukraine. That's why it makes us happy." "It motivates me that way."

"THESE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS"

Turan said, "The Champions League is a tournament designed for the teams of the 5 major leagues. Will you be satisfied with making it to the play-off round and entering the top 24, or is it possible to go further?" He answered the question, "It is a dream for us to make it to the top 24. I want you to look carefully at what home advantage means in the Champions League. We are far from that. Maybe something more important than the quality of players and tactics is that we can play with 40-50 thousand spectators. But these children have a dream."

"I WANT TO SEE SHAKHTAR WIN EVERY MATCH"

Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian football player Pedrinho said that they will try to do their best against AEK.

Thanking Arda Turan for his trust, the 28-year-old football player said, "He believed in me and continued to convince me that I could contribute a lot to the team right after I returned from injury. I really value this. I want to see Shakhtar achieve victory in every match."