Dirk Kuyt has urged Fenerbahce to make the most of their Champions League meeting with Liverpool, describing the match as a “very special situation” as he prepares to face his former club.
Fenerbahce host Liverpool on Wednesday, with Kuyt taking charge of the Turkish side on an interim basis after the resignation of Ismail Kartal. The Dutchman began his temporary spell in charge with a 2-1 defeat by Goztepe at the weekend.
The match will be a significant occasion for Kuyt, who played for Liverpool and won the EFL Cup with the club in 2011-12. He was also part of the Liverpool side that finished runners-up in the 2006-07 Champions League.
Kuyt scored nine goals and supplied five assists in 37 Champions League appearances for Liverpool. He said the draw had immediately stood out to him, although his focus was now on Fenerbahce’s position.
“I was very excited after the draw. It was very clear that it would be a very special situation,” said Kuyt.
“This will be very important for me, but right now the club is what matters.
“This is a great opportunity for us to show ourselves. It’s also a great opportunity for me, playing against two teams that are very important to me.
“No one who loves Fenerbahce is happy with the current situation, but this is a huge opportunity. We have players who have won the Champions League and the World Cup.”
Fenerbahce have yet to win in this season’s Champions League, drawing twice and losing once. Kuyt wants his team to impose themselves against Liverpool despite their difficult start.
The clubs will meet for the first time in this fixture. Liverpool have won four of their 11 matches against Turkish opposition in the European Cup and Champions League, drawing two and losing five.
Their most recent encounter with a Turkish side ended in a 4-0 victory over Galatasaray in March this year.
Fenerbahce’s 2-2 draw with Slavia Prague in their previous Champions League match extended their longest-ever sequence without a win in the European Cup and Champions League to 10 games. That run consists of four draws and six defeats.
