'We are confident of reaching Champions League group stage' - Fenerbahce's Alexander Djiku

Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku remains optimistic about Fenerbahce's aspirations of reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage under manager Jose Mourinho.The Turkish side is set to face LOSC Lille in the third round of qualifiers, aiming to advance to the next phase of the competition.The clash is on Tuesday night and the winner over the two leIn an interview with French media outlet L’Equipe, Djiku reviewed Fenerbahce’s prior Conference League campaign, where they were knocked out by Olympiacos in the quarter-finals following a penalty shootout.He recognized that such obstacles might have surfaced earlier but is confident that the team has gained valuable insights from those experiences.“Last year, we thought we could face Lille in the Conference League semi-finals, but we were eliminated by Olympiacos on penalties in the quarter-finals (Lille were also eliminated by Aston Villa). It could have happened earlier,” Djiku said.Regarding Lille, Djiku acknowledged the potential impact of Canadian striker Jonathan David’s return from injury but remained unfazed.“Jonathan David is a very talented player and a great mover on the pitch. He is also very effective in deep runs. Lille with Jonathan David and Lille without him are two different teams....

Aug 6, 2024 - 17:45
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'We are confident of reaching Champions League group stage' - Fenerbahce's Alexander Djiku

Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku remains optimistic about Fenerbahce's aspirations of reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage under manager Jose Mourinho.

The Turkish side is set to face LOSC Lille in the third round of qualifiers, aiming to advance to the next phase of the competition.

The clash is on Tuesday night and the winner over the two le

In an interview with French media outlet L’Equipe, Djiku reviewed Fenerbahce’s prior Conference League campaign, where they were knocked out by Olympiacos in the quarter-finals following a penalty shootout.

He recognized that such obstacles might have surfaced earlier but is confident that the team has gained valuable insights from those experiences.

“Last year, we thought we could face Lille in the Conference League semi-finals, but we were eliminated by Olympiacos on penalties in the quarter-finals (Lille were also eliminated by Aston Villa). It could have happened earlier,” Djiku said.

Regarding Lille, Djiku acknowledged the potential impact of Canadian striker Jonathan David’s return from injury but remained unfazed.

“Jonathan David is a very talented player and a great mover on the pitch. He is also very effective in deep runs. Lille with Jonathan David and Lille without him are two different teams.

"However, we did not have a special preference for the opponent, whether it was Lille or another team. The road will be difficult but we are confident."