Fenerbahçe Beko General Manager Derya Yannier, head coach Dimitris Itoudis and team captain Melih Mahmutoğlu attended the press conference held on the media day at Ülker Sports and Event Hall. Stating that they kept the important players in the team chemistry in the squad and made important additions, Derya Yannier said, “We are eager this season, as in every season. We are ready. As at the beginning of every season, process and time will be our medicine. We had a good preparation period. We have a little time left. We have a little time left until the first match.” We will try to close our shortcomings and get ready as much as possible. We expect it to be a more competitive season. We will start to see everyone’s chemistry on the field more closely. What we trust is to maintain the order. We have started to add the players we want to the points we see as lacking. We will continue to build on last year. We will be able to get ahead of ourselves. “We will try to take precautions against obstacles. I hope it will be a good season,” he said.
“NICK CALATHES IS CURRENTLY IN OUR SQUAD”
Stating that the situation of Nick Calathes, who was not considered in the team at the beginning of the season, changed after Raul Neto’s injury, Yannier said, “We reinforced the positions we saw as missing with the top names on our list. Bjelica and Calathes were not included in the current planning. Therefore, the current conditions required him. Nick is under contract.” He was one of our players. He was a player whose character we believed in. We wished for a better solution for both sides. After that, conditions changed. We try to stay away from rigid behavior. We remained flexible to the situation. Nick is in our squad. If the conditions require something else, we will find another solution. “We can move on. Our squad is like this right now,” he said.
“I HOPE THIS DECISION WILL BE TAKEN BACK”
Derya Yannier answered a question about the situation of Scottie Wilbekin, who was suspended for 5 matches by the TBF Arbitration Board, as follows:
“Scottie and Shane’s situation followed parallel. As a club, we made the necessary statement. We were in communication with the authorities during the summer period. They made such a decision. We also stated that we did not agree with the decision. There is a penalty of not playing 5 matches and a fine. Due to an article in the instructions, 1 match or 1 match will be suspended. “If there had been a fine, we would have lost the right to withdraw our license as a Turk. We applied to arbitration and I think the decision will be made within this week. I hope this decision will be taken back. Since we think the clubs have penalized us, we have conveyed our ideas to the necessary places.”
“ZAGARS WAS A PLAYER WE WERE EXCITED”
Regarding the transfer process of the new transfer Arturs Zagars, who had a good tournament with the Lithuanian National Team at the World Cup, Yannier said, “Zagars was a player we followed since the U18 period. We are trying to be at the top of Europe and there is a narrow player pool. When the time comes, we talk to our coach and try to make the right moves. Zagars was a player we were excited about. The playmaker market is really narrow. At this point, it is very difficult to find a traditional playmaker. Every player has some weaknesses. Zagars is a player who is close to the full package in terms of offense. He also has weaknesses. He needs to improve and provide continuity in the defense department. He could not show that continuity due to his injury. His debut in the World Cup had a significant impact. In the agreement we made, it is very important that he gains experience in the EuroCup for a year. He will be able to keep the team and stay on the field. “It will be in a team. It also had an affordable cost. We want to do such projects,” he said.
Regarding the summer transfer market, Yannier said, “It would be a lie if I said we got every player we went to first. There were players we wanted but couldn’t get. We can say that we added the vast majority of the priority players. We wanted to diversify the talent pool. We made the necessary moves for every position. Neto’s injury was a big deal for us.” “It was very sad. We thought it would fit the team chemistry. We had a summer season that we were very happy with. If we want to see changes in the coming period, we will not hesitate to do so,” he said.
Referring to the statements made by their clubs during the transfer process of Yam Madar and Georgios Papagiannis, who have just joined the team, Yannier said, “Yam had a contract process with his own club. He was offered to us as a free player. The coach contacted Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic directly. Legal We did not do anything that was not available. We added a free player to our squad. There is nothing to say about Papagiannis. He was a free player. They (Panathinaikos) also wanted it, but they could not get it. We especially do not approve of the statements made about our coach. We made the necessary application. There is nothing missing from our side. “There is no wrongdoing,” he said.
DIMITRIS ITOUDIS: IT’S TIME TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK
Keeping his opening speech short, Itoudis said, “There is a great fan group behind me and my technical team. We have a great president. Now is the time to give something back.”
“SCOTTIE HAD TWO KNOWN INJURIES”
Asked about his thoughts on the penalty received by Scottie Wilbekin, the experienced head coach said:
“Have you contacted Scottie directly regarding this issue? That’s the question. He has a different story. You should definitely talk to Scottie. He contacted TBF, he had information. He also talked to the national team coach and explained the situation. He had 2 known injuries. He had 2 known injuries in the league. “He suffered his third injury and continued to play. Players should not be punished for different reasons. We will respect the decision and act accordingly. These players need to play.”
“WE WILL GIVE SERTAC AN IMPORTANT ROLE”
Regarding the four new players joining the team, Itoudis said, “The four new players are here for the team. Sertaç is a player with incredible EuroLeague experience. We will give him an important role. Papagiannis wanted a change of environment. He is also a good team player. He gives us a different experience.” will add dimension. Sestina is also a team player and can play in different positions. Madar came as a player of a great coach. He wants to deserve the minutes we will get here. The whole team supported these players. Unfortunately, we could not see Neto at all due to his injury. I hope we will have a game like we wanted. “We can play games,” he said.
“I CAN SAY I BECAME A PART OF THE FENERBAHÇE FAMILY”
Regarding the things he does in his spare time, the Greek head coach said, “I love Istanbul very much. I prefer the Kadıköy area. There are many nice restaurants and cafes. I can say that I have become a part of the Fenerbahçe family. We meet a lot of people on the street. Even though there is a language barrier, we somehow get along. Music I love listening. I read a lot of books. Sometimes I read 3 books at the same time. My daughter is studying in London. My wife goes there and comes here. Of course, I would like it to be here. I don’t spend much time in nightlife. We made an agreement with Melih, I set the He concluded his words by saying, “He will bring his wife to a restaurant and we will have dinner together.”
MELİH MAHMUTOĞLU: WE WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Team captain Melih Mahmutoğlu stated that he was excited to start a new season and said, “I think our coach summarized it very well. We want to be successful now. A good team has been formed. The preparations are going as we want. We want to start the season the way we want.”
“THE MORE THE CONTRIBUTION OF LOCAL PLAYERS, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL THE TEAMS ARE”
Stating that the roles of local players play a key role in success, the experienced player said, “If we want success in the national team, the roles of local players in their own teams are very important. The more local players contribute, the more successful the teams are. Olympiacos and Real Madrid are important examples of this. All players in the team are important.” “It is very important. The playing time of the local players will be beneficial for the national team. It will be a difficult season. Many teams have established good squads. Our aim is to bring the national team to a successful place. We have our responsibilities,” he said.