There are some fixtures that matter because of the table, and others that matter because of the people in them. Fenerbahce’s meeting with Liverpool in Istanbul belongs in the second category for Dirk Kuyt, who said leading the club against his former side will be a “very, very special occasion.”
Kuyt knows both clubs well. Between 2006 to 2012, he made 285 appearances and scored 71 goals for Liverpool before later spending three years with Fenerbahce as a player, where he won the league. Now, after joining the Fenerbahce staff during the summer and being placed in interim charge last week, he will oversee Wednesday’s matchday four Champions League meeting in Istanbul.
That makes the occasion unusual even by European standards. Kuyt is not only facing Liverpool, but doing so while standing in a new role at the club where he also enjoyed success. He said the draw immediately made him excited because both teams mean so much to him, but he was careful to frame the night around the club rather than his own story.
“Of course tomorrow will be a very, very special occasion for me. But at the stage we are in, I’m not the important person. It’s the club,” he said.
Fenerbahce’s bigger opportunity
The wider significance goes beyond Kuyt’s personal history. He said Fenerbahce had reached the Champions League for the first time in 18 years, which he described as a really special achievement and an exciting moment for the club. Liverpool’s visit only raises the scale of the challenge.
Kuyt’s message to his players was simple: the opportunity will only matter if they meet it with energy, passion and belief. He said Fenerbahce have really good players, but insisted they still need to “show up” and play with the right intensity. “We have a good plan for tomorrow but we need to believe in that plan,” he said.
That is the real test here. Liverpool bring the reputation, but Kuyt made clear that Fenerbahce can make this a special night if they match the occasion themselves. He also pointed to the fans, saying that if they turn up, Europe will see how big the support is, and that he is 100 per cent convinced they will be behind the team from the first whistle.
So the emotional pull of this match is obvious, but the football question is just as important. Kuyt called Liverpool an amazing team, but he said the same of Fenerbahce. Wednesday in Istanbul is therefore not only a reunion, but a chance for Fenerbahce to show they belong at this level again.
