Nigeria defender Chibuike Nwaiwu has shared how Trabzonspor's new manager Thomas Reis motivated the team. This happened after they secured a surprising 4-0 victory over Galatasaray during Saturday’s Turkish Süper Lig match, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Trabzonspor achieved one of their biggest wins of the season at Papara Park. This victory handed the defending champions their first loss of the season and ended their unbeaten run.
Nwaiwu, who played as a centre-back for the entire match, mentioned that Reis’ advice at half-time helped the team keep their energy up, even with a 3-0 lead.
"We went into the locker room at halftime. Among the things we talked about, along with our teammates, were what our coach told us: that we needed to keep going, maintain the score, and that we could finish the match with even higher scores," Nwaiwu said, as quoted by Haber61.
"Because we are up against a formidable opponent. The discussion focused on the need for us to continue in this serious manner."
Nwaiwu stated that the team had trained hard all week to prepare for this tough match following Reis’ arrival.
"It was a tough week for us. You know, we worked all week for this challenging match after the spring break. With our new coach, we’ve been playing with more rhythm, and I want to dedicate this to our fans."
Reis joined the team just two days before this game after Fatih Tekke left. Nwaiwu quickly praised the German coach for the positive changes he has already made.
"If I have to talk about him, I would say he is a very good coach. I think he will become a part of our family," the Nigeria international said.
The impressive 4-0 win was capped off by a hat-trick from Mohamed Salah, while Noah Saviolo also scored, helping Trabzonspor secure a memorable victory against the league leaders.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇