Rıdvan Yılmaz and Barry Ferguson on Rangers Europa League first leg trip to Fenerbahce

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Rıdvan Yılmaz and Barry Ferguson on Rangers Europa League first leg trip to Fenerbahce  05/03/2025  UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

Transcript

00:00How special is it to come to this city, given your affiliation to this city, how special

00:19is it to come back and play here?

00:22Yeah definitely special, obviously playing in the town you've been born and you have

00:28so many memories as a family together here, so many good memories, so it's definitely

00:34special and I'll definitely enjoy it tomorrow.

00:58I don't think there's a moment to be fair to talk about my future, I think my fully

01:19focus right now is on Rangers and on the game tomorrow, I've been waiting to be playing

01:27back again on a European stage for a year now, so I'm just too excited for tomorrow

01:34to be able to think about what can be in the future and it doesn't really make sense to

01:40talk about future, as you know football changes really quick so my focus is on tomorrow.

01:53Jannes has it been difficult in the days that have followed the defeat on Saturday

01:57to try and get your head around the challenge you face here?

02:02Yeah I think it's part of every Rangers player, every three, four days you have a game, doesn't

02:12really matter if it's a loss or a win, you always have to be ready for the next game

02:18and I think that's the same case now, obviously the last couple of weeks haven't been good

02:26enough for Rangers standard and we all can agree on that, I think there's been a lot

02:33of work going on behind the scenes at the training ground and trying to fix everything

02:37and I think we're ready for tomorrow, obviously it will be a great challenge for us as a team

02:47considering the last couple of weeks but I think we're going to be ready.

02:54Jannes you talked about growing up in the city, obviously the family links to Galatasaray,

02:58does that serve as any extra motivation to come here and get a result tomorrow?

03:04I think an extra motivation for me is to represent Rangers as best as possible, I think signing

03:11for this huge club made me a better man, a better player and the only thing I owe to

03:22the club is to give my best performances on a daily basis in training and then come game

03:28day to do the same so obviously every player has every now and then maybe an off day at

03:35the office as probably every person out there has but I think one thing I've done for this

03:41football club is just give every bit of energy that I had and it won't be any different tomorrow.

03:53Jannes given the reputation of your father and the success he had in this country, what

03:58is it like to be following in his footsteps to play in this country and has he given any

04:02advice when you're coming over here?

04:07Jannes obviously we talk before every game, after every game as well so he knows how important

04:14the European nights are and how tough it is to get a result away from home so we obviously

04:22talk about the game, he obviously knows the Turkish league really good and the Turkish

04:28team so I'll definitely have a few advices from him but in general as I said prior it's

04:36just special for me to play in a place like this, obviously Istanbul means so much to

04:42my family and I and it just gives me an extra motivation to play better and play as good

04:50as I can tomorrow.

04:51Last couple, Andy.

04:52Jannes there were some stories last week coming from Turkey that suggested that you perhaps

04:56not back a contract offer from Rangers, can you just update us where you are in that process?

05:02I think for the respect of everyone I think the club and my agents have to talk about

05:10that, for me right now and it's really an honest answer, I don't really think about

05:20the future, for me it's just about what I can do today and tomorrow to get ready for

05:26the game and then from that point on next game, next game, next game and I'll just take

05:30it step by step.

05:31Everything else I think, you guys probably know my agents so probably they'll talk about

05:39my situation.

05:40Last one, Scott.

05:41Jannes, how's it been under Barry Ferguson, how much did you know about him before he

05:46took the job and what's it been like working with him in the last few weeks?

05:50Yeah I definitely knew a lot about him and being captain of this huge club at a really

05:56early age and always being a standard setter if that's how you say it in English and I

06:06think him as a player describes him as a manager as well, I think he always demands the best

06:15out of you even if we're on the pitch for 10-15 minutes or in the meeting room for 10-15

06:21minutes.

06:22So I think that's the best way to describe him and the technical staff about driving

06:30standards and afterwards trying to obviously fix what we're not doing well because everybody

06:38knows certain things are not going our way the last few weeks and we need to obviously

06:44get better on those and this is more or less him and the technical staff so right now we're

06:54just trying to put good performances into it and make them happy because we know how

06:59much it means for them this football club and how much they respect this football club

07:03so we as a group we want to finish the season as good as possible and obviously the European

07:11games are quite important at this moment of the season.

07:14Thank you very much everyone.

07:17Have a good night.

07:41Can you just update us on how the squad is looking for tomorrow night?

07:54Everybody's travelled, obviously I guess you're asking about John Souter, Leon Balogun, both

08:00trained again today and I need to again wait until tomorrow morning to see how they react

08:08obviously from the training session but good to see them both back training and hopefully

08:13be available for selection tomorrow night.

08:15How big a game is this for not just the team but for yourself as well I suppose because

08:21leading Rangers out in a European tie must be a huge privilege for you.

08:25First and foremost I think the team's done brilliant to get to this stage.

08:30Now you're up against a very good Fenerbahce team with some, in my opinion, top players.

08:37We've watched them closely over the last three or four days since the game at the weekend

08:43and as you know they've got a top class manager as well so we're expecting a really tough

08:48game but we're prepared in the right manner and hopefully tomorrow when we wake up there'll

08:55be a few more available for selection.

08:58Jose Mourinho had some nice things to say about yourself today, I just wonder if you

09:00heard those and also he had something to say about Philippe Clement and his comments, I

09:05just wonder if you had any thoughts on those as well?

09:07In terms of Jose Mourinho?

09:09Oh yeah.

09:09Well, it's easy to say he's a top class manager.

09:15He's won I think 26 titles round about that, titles in Portugal, England, Italy.

09:24So yeah, in my opinion, top class manager and I'm really looking forward to coming up

09:29against him.

09:30In terms of his comments on Philippe Clement, did you have any concerns about those?

09:35Can we ask him some questions?

09:37Did you have any concerns about the comments that came from Philippe Clement about Jose

09:42Mourinho?

09:43That's up to other people to decide what they think of Mourinho but I think, as I said,

09:48he's a top class manager and he's won so many titles and he's managed at so many top teams.

09:54Beril Böke, PlaySport.

09:56When you analysed your opponent, what was the difference between Fenerbahçe, who are

10:01fighting in the Turkish League, and Fenerbahçe, who are fighting in the European League?

10:13Yeah, we've watched obviously their games in the domestic league and also in the Europa

10:21League.

10:23But look, they change formation sometimes.

10:26But again, it's virtually the same sort of 11 they start with.

10:31As I said, we understand but we're coming up against a very good team.

10:36They have players like Tadic, Dzeko up front.

10:40They have so many other top class players and we're expecting a tough night.

10:45So I think we need to be at our very best and we want to get a good result here.

10:53Barry, have you seen what you've wanted to see on the training field the last couple

10:57of days after what happened on Saturday?

11:00Yeah, well it was important that I got at least a couple of days in a row on the training

11:05field.

11:06As you know, last week I only had one day before the Comandler game and then obviously

11:12before the game at the weekend.

11:13It was basically a rest day on a Thursday and had the boys again on Friday.

11:18So this week we've had two full days to prepare properly, to go through certain scenarios

11:27within the game against a team who I think potentially could win the Europa League.

11:36So we need to be at it, we need to be organised, we need to be prepared and we've certainly

11:41done that over the last three days.

11:44Barry, this tournament has suited Rangers this season and the games have been a bit

11:49more open which has suited Rangers.

11:51Do you expect that to be the same tomorrow because obviously Jose is a famously gifted

11:56defensive kind of coach?

11:58Yeah, well they play a certain way and I know a lot of people say he's a defensive coach

12:02but he's a top coach also.

12:03He knows how to set up teams and the way that they play.

12:07We've watched it, as I said, we've watched probably ten games over the last four days

12:14and I don't see the way his team play as a defensive team.

12:20I think they've got so many attack-minded teams, whether it's Tadic, Dzeko, the two

12:24wing-backs are really forward-thinking as well.

12:26The midfielders are good on the ball, they make aggressive passes.

12:32I'm expecting a tough game, the players know that as well.

12:37So we're prepared as much as we can and we need to go and certainly give a performance

12:45that I expect from them.

12:47As I said, we've had a couple of days to go through things, we've spoke, we've had meetings,

12:52we've been on the training ground, we've spent a fair bit of time, we've been in meetings

12:57and going through things in terms of the way Fenerbahce approach games, certainly at home.

13:03I can't prepare the team much more, so we're ready to go tomorrow night.

13:10Barry, you've obviously watched the Europa League from a bit of a distance so far in this campaign.

13:17Can you put your finger on perhaps why Rangers look a different team domestically and in Europe

13:22and maybe play better in Europe when they're perhaps struggling domestically?

13:27Good question.

13:28I've been at all the games this season, home and away, and certainly some of the best performances

13:35this season have been in the Europa League, there's no doubt about that.

13:38I'm not going to hide away from the fact that they've shown their best.

13:45I think we're coming up against a different level, I've been honest with you, after watching

13:49so much of Fenerbahce over the last three or four days.

13:53But listen, they've proved that at the highest level they can compete, they know that.

13:58And I'll expect that same sort of performance tomorrow.

14:03Can you use your headphone for translation?

14:23So you're basically asking me to give my formation away?

14:27They have scored, as you said, two strikers, in my opinion, that are really dangerous.

14:33But listen, we've got a plan, we need to keep these sort of players quiet,

14:37the defenders and also the midfielders understand that.

14:40We've went through different scenarios in terms of the way that they attack,

14:44but there are two players that we have to keep an eye on,

14:46if we're going to be able to keep them quiet,

14:48then they're going to do one thing and that's hurt you.

15:18I've always liked Rydvan, he's a good player.

15:28The issue he's had at Rangers, as you mentioned there, has been injuries.

15:33But now he's back fully fit, he's played in a position which is pretty formed to him,

15:38he's played right back for us, his natural position is left back.

15:43But he's one player I can rely on, he doesn't moan.

15:47I've asked him to play different positions and he's become a big player.

15:52I like his attitude, his attitude has always been first class.

15:55And it's now about him being fully fit for the rest of the season,

16:00because I think if he plays more games, he can get better and better.

16:06Barry, you had some famous European nights at this club under Walter Smith.

16:11Will you take a bit of inspiration from how he used to approach these ties as you go into this one?

16:17I'll take a bit of inspiration, not just from Walter Smith, who was a great manager,

16:20but also Dick Advocat and Alec McLeish.

16:23I know a lot of people say that I'm new to this job, and rightly so,

16:30but I've played in a lot of European games, whether that be Champions League or UEFA Cup it was at that stage.

16:36I understand the times that you need to play a different way,

16:41and that's something that me and my coaching staff have sat down and spoke about.

16:46As I said, the coaching staff have got a lot of experience in Europe,

16:51and we're not going into this blind.

16:53We know we're coming up against, as I mentioned, a very good team with very good players,

16:57and in my opinion, a top manager.

16:59So we're expecting a tough night, but we're prepared.

17:02The guys know their jobs, they know their roles with and without the ball.

17:09So let's just look ahead to the game tomorrow night.

17:13Last question please, Andrew.

17:14Barry, you've talked about how the last 10 days or so has been a whirlwind.

17:18Have you quite managed to wrap your head around how you've gone from an ambassadorial role

17:22to going out there tomorrow, pitting your wits against Jose Mourinho?

17:26No, listen, it's settling down a bit.

17:28As I said, each day is getting a bit easier because obviously you're making some changes.

17:34But listen, there's still some things that I need to work on in terms of the football side of it

17:38and also inside the training centre.

17:41It doesn't happen overnight, but I know I've not got long.

17:44I've only got three months in the job.

17:47But listen, I'm loving every single minute of it.

17:50I would like a bit more sleep at night, if I'm being honest with you.

17:52I'm not getting that, but listen, it's a role that, as I said to you,

17:56I'm going to go and embrace it, I'm going to go and enjoy it,

17:58and I'm going to go and give everything I've got.

18:02Thanks, everyone.

18:03Cheers. Thank you.

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