Feyenoord and Fenerbahce managers Robin van Persie and Jose Mourinho said they're looking forward to next week's second leg of their UEFA Champions League third-round matchup in Istanbul.
Feyenoord snatched a late 2-1 win over the Turkish giants, courtesy of an Anis Hadj Moussa header in injury time. After the game, Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie complimented his team on a strong first half.
"We played really well in the first half, but we didn't start the second half well. Often, those first few minutes are decisive for the rest of the match. We need to learn from that."
Feyenoord are dealing with several injury issues, especially on defence. It forced Anel Ahmedhodzic, who arrived on Tuesday, to start in his first Feyenoord game on Wednesday, alongside fellow newcomer Tsuyoshi Watanabe.
That didn't stop the duo from impressing their manager: "You really couldn't tell that they had never played together before," Van Persie said during the post-game press conference.
Old stomping ground
Next week, Van Persie will return to the stadium he called home for part of his career. The Dutch icon played three years for Fenerbahce, between 2015 and 2018, and will return to Istanbul for the first time since leaving in January 2018.
Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho hailed the Feyenoord crowd, but emphasised the Rotterdam side won't have it easy in Fenerbahce's Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. "Feyenoord had a fantastic crowd behind them. We can also have a great crowd next week," the Portuguese manager said.
Jose Mourinho and Robin van Persie enter the pitch before the Champions League match between Feyenoord and FenerbahceAA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia
Fenerbahce fans are known for creating an intense atmosphere during European games, deafening opposing players with their whistling and yelling. Mourinho already had a warm welcome message for their Dutch visitors: "With our fans, we can achieve a lot. I say: welcome to Istanbul, welcome to Kadiköy. Welcome to hell."
Van Persie, whose press conference started after Mourinho's, caught wind of his opponent's statements. "If I understand correctly, we must prepare ourselves for the hell of Istanbul," the former Fenerbahce striker said.
"I've played enough matches in Kadikoy myself. The atmosphere will undoubtedly be good. But we're used to that. We're not running away from it."
Fenerbahce will host Feyenoord next Tuesday for the second leg of their third-round qualifying matchup in the UEFA Champions League. The match will kick off at 19.00 CET.