Guus Hiddink made a winning debut as a Turkey football coach on Wednesday, leading his team to a 2-0 victory over Romania in an international friendly.
It was a pleasant debut for the Dutch coach, but the victory at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium was won the hard way, with both goals coming in the latter stages of the game.
The opening goal came from a penalty kick by Fenerbahçe midfielder Emre Belözoğlu in the 82nd minute, after Serbian referee Milorad Mazic called a controversial penalty. The second goal came five minutes later, with a scorching shot by Arda Turan from about 25 meters out.
In Turkey’s first goal, the Serbian called for a foul after Gökhan Gönül fell after a challenge with Razvan Cocis as he entered the Romanian box. However, television replays showed it was actually Gönül who hit Cocis’ foot.
The daily Hürriyet quoted the Turkish fullback as admitting, “It was not a penalty.”
“After the call, I went to the referee and said I hit the Romanian player, but he may have called the foul because of an earlier challenge,” said Gönül. “There was no penalty, and I wish I had insisted on saying to the referee it was not. After that occasion, I could not really concentrate on the game. I wish such a thing didn’t happen to me.”
After the penalty goal, Romania had the chance to equalize when Gheorghe Florescu’s shot just barely went wide. Romania could not capitalize on that chance, and Galatasaray attacker Arda Turan closed the door against the guests.
“The second goal was a beauty,” Hiddink told Kanaltürk television after the game.
That was Hiddink’s first match as Turkey’s coach, and the win ended Turkey’s long streak without a win against Romania, which went back 11 games and 45 years.
The former Netherlands, South Korea and Russia coach was happy with the win, but expressed that there were many departments in which the Turkish side can improve.
“That was a good win. We beat a respectable side,” said Hiddink at the post-match press conference. “But we have to improve in certain aspects of the game.”
The Dutchman especially underlined the defensive problems.
“We gave away too many chances,” he said. “But that was not only the four back players’ fault. It is a problem of the whole team.”
The 64-year-old also had things to say about the offensive end.
“We started the game with an attacking formation,” he said. “However, our players had a tendency to slow the game down. I want them to play faster. That’s what we’ll be working on in the future.”
Hiddink was reminded of an analogy told by Fatih Terim, his predecessor as Turkish coach, during the press conference.
“Terim likened Turkish football to a creature that had weak feet and a strong upper body. Do you have such a definition for Turkish football?” a reporter asked Hiddink.
“Terim is a philosophical person. I don’t want to talk about his statements,” said Hiddink. “I just started my job. It may be hard for me to say something like that now. Maybe in six months I can have a philosophical approach like that.”
“But if our upper body is strong, we can strengthen our feet as well,” Hiddink said. “We have to strengthen our minds as well. That’s how you solve problems.”
Asked if he feels under pressure, Hiddink said he is comfortable being in Turkey.
“I am calm. I don’t feel pressure at all,” said Hiddink, who previously worked at Super League club Fenerbahçe during the 1990-1991 Season. “Turkey is a place I am used to.”
Hoping to qualify for the European Football Championship in 2012, which will be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, Turkey will take on Kazakhstan and Belgium in back-to-back matches next month in the qualifying campaign. Germany, Austria and Azerbaijan are also in Turkey’s group.
“Turkey failed to qualify for the World Cup, for whatever reason,” said Hiddink. “We need to win back Turkey’s prestige.”
