Fenerbahçe SK v Liverpool | Cody Gakpo Champions League Pre-Match Press Conference

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Erhan Alvaroğlu (0:33)

Hi guys, if you could raise your hand, and we'll try and get around as many of you as possible.

SPEAKER_3 (0:44)

Who'd like to go first?

Erhan Alvaroğlu (0:48)

Yeah, in the middle of the back. I need the mic.

SPEAKER_4 (0:56)

Hi Cody, I just wanted to start with off the back of Sunday. Obviously, there's been a lot of talk about the penalty incident in the first half. I just wondered as a player, is it frustrating when you see a decision which seemed quite clear, but not given in the sense that you kind of have to make the most of it in order for it to be given?

Cody Gakpo (1:20)

Yeah, it can be frustrating at times, but at the end, I think it's a referee's decision. I think we as a team, we play pretty fair, and maybe we should dive maybe some more like the gaffer said, but no, I think, like I said, we play pretty fair, and I think in both occasions, you could have given a penalty, you could have given a foul, but they decided not to, and then yeah, we have to live with that decision, and yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_4 (1:53)

Can I ask you about Dirk Coutt, who will be in the opposition dugout tomorrow night, obviously Dutch international, huge player for Liverpool, someone you watched growing up, someone you followed?

Cody Gakpo (2:05)

Yeah, of course, I think a lot of caps in the national team as well, some big moments with the national team, obviously played at Liverpool, in Holland as well, played at Feyenoord, I remember I think he scored a hat-trick at this game, they became the champion the last time, Feyenoord, not the last time, but the last time he played there. So yeah, watched quite a bit of him.

SPEAKER_6 (2:31)

Hi Cody, given how close you came to obviously moving in the summer, do you feel like you've been playing with a bit more of a point to prove this season?

Cody Gakpo (2:41)

No, not really, I think my mindset stayed the same like it always has been. Tried to perform, but yeah, it was quite a hectic summer regarding to a lot of topics, so I just tried to enjoy football and enjoy life.

SPEAKER_6 (2:57)

Could you just take us a bit into the conversation you had with the club when it was decided that you were going to stay?

Cody Gakpo (3:02)

Well, it was not much of a discussion, was it? Yeah, the decision was made and that was it.

Erhan Alvaroğlu (3:12)

Hi Cody, on the basis of Sunday's game, how far off do you think Liverpool are? I know it's very early in the manager's reign, but how far off do you think you are from being up there and challenging again?

Cody Gakpo (3:24)

At the moment, nine points, but I think they are a very good team. They showed it again with phases in the game, and I think we are a team in progress. We are growing in certain points and certain aspects. So I think we can be close if we have a very good day, but we are working on the consistency and to stay every game, every minute of the game, we are a top team.

SPEAKER_3 (3:57)

Cody, on that, some of the best performances so far have come in, in the Champions League, Villarreal obviously away, in Linz. What is it about the European or Champions League football that is suited to the manager's style more? Because you've scored a lot of goals in Europe compared to domestically, you've only got 11 league goals so far as a team.

What is it, are you more suited to this tournament, do you think?

Cody Gakpo (4:29)

Well, that's a good question. I think it depends how you look at it. I think obviously the two games, we scored some goals, but we also conceded, I think, a good amount of goals.

So, yeah, I think the Champions League is always something special and special things can happen. And that happened in the two games we played there, but I don't want to say this league or suits us more than the Premier League, obviously.