Soner Aydogdu: “Our Goal is 3 Points”

Samsunspor midfielder Soner Aydogdu expressed the team’s desire to secure all three points in their upcoming away match against Kasımpaşa, aiming to achieve a perfect five out of five in away games.

Samsunspor, one of the league’s in-form teams, is preparing for the match under the guidance of head coach Thomas Reis at the Nuri Asan Facilities. Soner, who contributed with goals and assists in the recent matches against Adana Demirspor and Fenerbahce after coming off the bench, addressed the media during training.

Reflecting on the Fenerbahce match, Aydogdu stated, “We had a good game against Fenerbahce. For the last three weeks, we’ve been coming from behind to turn the matches around, which makes us happy. Ideally, we would prefer to take control without falling behind, but these things happen in football. The Fenerbahce match is behind us; we got the points we wanted, although we could have secured more. Now, we will prepare as best as we can for the Kasımpasa match and head out for three points.”

Emphasizing their success in away games, Soner said, “We have won all four of our away matches this season, so why not go for five out of five against Kasımpaşa? We have created a great atmosphere and momentum. However, we must stay grounded. The Kasımpasa match will be a tough away game. They had a very successful season last year and are doing well this year as well. We have also become a difficult team to face. Opponents no longer see us as they did last year; they take us seriously and prepare accordingly. We are aware of this. We’ve broken the away game phobia from last year, and we approach away matches with confidence. We fight hard at home as well. With our feet firmly on the ground, we want to leave the Kasımpasa match with three points.”

Soner Aydogdu: “I Want to Make the Most of Every Minute”

The 33-year-old player emphasized his desire to make the most of the playing time he receives in the league, stating, “I have been playing football for many years. This is my 17th year in the sport. I want to take every opportunity I get and make the best of it. Ideally, I would love to start in the starting eleven and play. Every player wants to play, but some will play while others will wait. When I get the chance, I want to show myself. I am doing my best to contribute to my team. Whether it’s 5 minutes, half an hour, 1 hour, or 90 minutes, it doesn’t matter. I want to honor the jersey, knowing its value and owning it with a sense of belonging, even if it’s just for 5 minutes.”

“If Our Transfers Were Open, Many of Us Would Have Left”

Soner Aydogdu discussed the impact of the transfer ban on the team, saying, “We knew that there might be a transfer ban coming from last year. We were aware of it. This situation has brought us closer together. In Turkey, there can be a lot of player movements during the transfer period. If our transfers were open this year, many of us would have left, and new players would have come in. You can’t know what the new players will bring. Since you don’t know the character and the contributions of those coming in, you know very well what each player in the current structure can offer. We have turned this into an advantage. There is a great atmosphere inside, with a strong sense of belonging. Everyone supports each other and their work, which positively reflects on the field.”

Gisdol-Reis Comparison

Aydogdu compared the playing styles of last season’s coach Markus Gisdol and this season’s Thomas Reis, stating, “Football is like that; some come and some go, and some can make you forget others. We had a different coach last year. This year, there is a completely different style of play. Markus Gisdol didn’t focus much on ball possession; he prioritized off-the-ball play. This season, however, Coach Thomas Reis loves ball possession and wants us to keep the ball. This brings talented players who can dominate the ball to the forefront. As players, we want to implement the coach’s requests on the field in the best way possible.”

Despite only playing 53 minutes this season, Soner Aydogdu has contributed with 2 goals and 1 assist in the Super Lig.