Calhanoglu Reflects On Turkiye's Defensive Tactics In Euro 2024 Defeat
Hakan Calhanoglu expressed his disappointment with Turkiye's defensive strategy in their 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands, which ended their Euro 2024 campaign. "When we look at the tournament in general, teams that take a 1-0 lead generally sit back," Calhanoglu said. "I don't know why this is the case, but it was the same for us today."
Turkiye initially took the lead with Samet Akaydin's header in the 35th minute, marking him as the seventh different goalscorer for Vincenzo Montella's team during the tournament. However, Stefan de Vrij's goal and a Mert Muldur own goal shifted the momentum in favour of the Netherlands, who will now face England in the semi-finals next Wednesday.
After taking the lead, Turkiye focused on defending it, but this approach allowed Ronald Koeman's team to increase their pressure in the second half. Montella's side had 43.4% possession and completed 182 passes in the first half, but these numbers dropped to 37.6% possession and 112 passes after halftime.
"We sat back a lot," Calhanoglu told reporters. "We conceded two goals in seven minutes, which of course hurt us a little." He added that despite trying long balls towards the end, they couldn't capitalise on their chances. "Sometimes things like this happen in football. We need to learn from this," he stated.
Despite their exit, Turkiye impressed by reaching the knockout stages of a European Championship for the first time since 2008. The nation is set to co-host Euro 2032 with Italy, and Calhanoglu believes this experience can help them build towards a promising future.
Looking Ahead to Euro 2032
"As long as we are united, as long as we are together, we can achieve anything," Calhanoglu said. "We have always shown this." His optimism reflects a belief that Turkiye can use their experiences from Germany to strengthen their performance in future tournaments.
Turnuva boyunca verdiğiniz sonsuz destek için teşekkürler pic.twitter.com/FBsOrL1cKW
— Türkiye #BizimÇocuklar (@MilliTakimlar) July 6, 2024
Calhanoglu remains proud of his team's efforts and grateful for the support they received throughout the tournament. His reflections underscore both a sense of pride and a commitment to learning from their experiences to improve in future competitions.
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