Guys, everyone’s talking about Ismail Kartal’s comments about Marco Asensio after yesterday’s 2-1 win in Maraş! The coach said, “The favorite in the match was Fenerbahçe’s fans”—what do you think about that? 😮
I was really moved by Voli’s energy and the team’s resilience in the final minutes while watching the game. Do you think Kartal’s words were just motivational, or was there something more behind them that showed up in the press conference? Let’s discuss what really happened on the pitch together! ⚽💚
Ismail Kartal's comment about Marco Asensio went viral! "The match favorite was Fenerbahçe fans" 🔥
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Man, honestly, Ismail Kartal’s comment actually sums up the dynamics on the pitch perfectly. Look, when Fenerbahçe went to Maras they were both the hosts and the reigning champions, but they got caught in the first half by a penalty that wasn’t even touched. Then, in the second half, when Asensio’s amazing direct strike and Dzeko’s goal saved the day, sure, the stands were electric, but the overall tempo of the match was generally in Fener’s favor. That’s what I think Kartal was getting at—he wanted to highlight that your team took a tough fight with morale, motivation, and the pressure from the crowd.
Actually, this line isn’t just a “motivational speech,” it could be a technical observation too. Voli’s resistance in those final minutes and the team’s ability to keep the ball show how a side struggling away can still win. Kartal is usually analytical in press conferences, so this sentence was probably chosen deliberately. In other words, he’s pointing to the team’s mental state while basically saying, “yeah, we had a hard time but we got the result.” Don’t you think so?
I think Kartal's comment that “the favorite of the match was the Fenerbahçe fan” really shows the impact of the stands, which are one of the most important forces on the field, as we all know—no doubt about that. In the final minutes, the goalkeeper’s saves were getting everyone excited, but with such a massive crowd, the players are also more likely to make mistakes under pressure. Kartal bringing this up in the press conference is actually a sign of how the team’s mentality was affected. A few months ago, during my 5 km run, I saw how much the support from the stands motivated me, so it makes sense that the coach would admit the same thing for the team.
Now it’s our turn to focus on the post‑match training or the press conference. The coach’s comment doesn’t sound like just a pep talk; it seems he’s also acknowledging the team’s home advantage. If you add the referee’s decisions to that, we see again how hard it is for Fenerbahçe to gain an edge even when playing away. Next time I go to Maras, I’d love to see with my own eyes how massive a wave the team creates when they step onto the pitch!
Asensio’s performance yesterday wasn’t even at a level we could simply call “good,” bro. Despite Maras’s aggressive pressing, his runs through the middle and his final touches inside the box froze both the Canaries and the crowd. The line about “the match’s favorite being a Fenerbahçe fan” from Kartal, in my opinion, isn’t just motivation—it’s a direct nod to the electric atmosphere the Istanbul crowd created that night and the potential they had to swing the game in the dying minutes.
Nineteen world champions showed up, pressed Union up to ten meters from the goal, and then Voli added his last‑minute pressure… If Asensio had let the ball go without being pressed and sent it into the box during an attacking move, we’d have witnessed those breath‑taking moments again. Kartal is basically saying, “Yeah, we weren’t dominant on this pitch, but the fans carried us and that’s how we got the result.” How the opposing player perceives that hype—that’s what I think it’s all about.