Interim head coach Dirk Kuyt praised Fenerbahce’s intensity and fighting spirit after they twice came from behind to beat his former club Liverpool 3-2 at home in the Champions League.
Kuyt, who played more than 200 games for the Anfield club between 2006 and 2012, took the job only last week following the resignation of Ismail Kartal. Just two matches into the job, the Dutchman delivered Fenerbahce’s first victory of their Champions League campaign, thanks to Vedat Muriqi’s 79th-minute winner in Istanbul.
“I’m very happy with all the players, I’m very happy with all the people who were involved that we made a miracle tonight because I think not many people expected us to win against Liverpool,” Kuyt said.
“But we said before the game to each other, ‘we have a chance’... The win was not an easy win, but it was not luck. At the end of the day we deserved it.
"We created many chances, we kept pushing and we keep fighting against one of the best teams in Europe.”
Trey Nyoni opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 25th minute, but Fenerbache's Mason Greenwood leveled four minutes later. Alexander Isak restored Liverpool's lead in the 69th minute but the advantage lasted jut four minutes. Archie Brown's tap-in made it 2-2.
REUTERS
