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Turkey : First game in Abdullah Avcı era with Slovakia Friendly

Abdullah Avcı debuts as the head coach of Turkish National Football Team tonight in a friendly game against Slovakia.

With a squad involving many young names, the former Istanbul BB coach hopes to impress eager Turkish fans.

Istanbul / NationalTurk – New manager and a new president for Turkish football, as Abdullah Avcı and his fairly-young Turkish squad face their first test tonight in a friendly game against Slovakia.

The Turkish national football squad takes on Slovakia in a friendly game tonight in what will be the first test of national coach Abdullah Avcı.

Hiddink era over for Turkey, Avcı wishes to make a good start with yound team

Avcı, who replaced world-renown Guus Hiddink after the Turkey failed reaching Euro 2012, has already included some fresh faces in the squad and is ready to have more in the near future.

“Although our national team failed to make it to the last two major tournaments [2010 World Cup and Euro 2012], I have full confidence in the skill and potential of Turkish footballers,” Avcı told a press conference in Bursa yesterday. “Our target is to make it to the 2014 World Cup finals as a leader in our qualifying group, and we hope to make a good start with the first match in September.”

Tonight’s game against Slovakia will be the first step in giving the Turkish players “a new football philosophy,” the former Istanbul BB coach said.

Turkey : First game in Abdullah Avcı era with Slovakia Friendly
Turkey : First game in Abdullah Avcı era with Slovakia Friendly

New coach for Turkish Team, young and fresh player comprise the 28 men squad

“I have included new names in the squad for this game to be able to observe their performances,” said Avcı. “No one should have any doubt that the selection of players for the team will be made fairly in the new era.”

Avcı’s squad for the friendly game is also a rather young one; at 28, Toulouse forward Umut Bulut is the ‘big brother’ in the squad.

Beşiktaş ‘s promising forward Mustafa Pektemek is one of the new call-ups in the attacking line, joining Trabzonspor’s Burak Yılmaz, the leading goal scorer in Turkey’s Super League and eyed by many European clubs, Rennes striker Mevlüt Erdinç and Hertha Berlin’s Tunay Torun.

Eskişehirspor’s Alper Potuk, Kaiserslautern’s Olcay Şahan, Trabzonspor’s Olcan Adın and Beşiktaş’s Necip Uysal are the fresh midfielders, joining familiar names such as Arda Turan of Atletico Madrid, Werder Bremen’s Mehmet Ekici, Real Madrid’s Nuri Şahin and Valencia midfielder Mehmet Topal. In the defensive line, Galatasaray’s young satrting center back Semih Kaya, Kayserispor defender Hasan Ali Kaldırım and Bursaspor’s Serdar Aziz are among the names that will win their first international caps.

Fenerbahçe wing back Gökhan Gönül, Beşiktaş left back İsmail Köybaşı, Kayserispor’s Eren Güngör and Bayer Leverkusen’s Ömer Toprak are also on the squad.

Goalkeeper Cenk Gönen of Beşiktaş may win his first cap as well. Fenerbahce’s Volkan Demirel is not invited by Avcı’s call.

Turkey’s coach noted there were Spor Toto Super League players in the Slovakia squad, making it a ‘familiar opponent,’ and starting the new era with a victory would mean a lot to him.

Turkish coach Abdullah Avcı : Turkish coaches needed to be shown patience

Avcı also said Turkish coaches needed ‘to be shown patience’ to succeed. “Turkish coaches are not behind foreigners. In fact, we are ahead of them. What matters are time, support and patience toward us. If Turkish coaches are given these they will succeed.”

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