[email protected] MONDAY 1 JUNE 2015 • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 2015 SET TO BE THE YEAR OF THE SMARTWATCH P | 6 THE NEXT GENERATION HEAVY JEEP’S LITTLE SCHOOL AIMS TO COUSIN IS FINE IN ITS SURVIVABLE, IF NOT GO HEALTHY OWN REALM MEMORABLE P | 4 P | 7 P | 12 Bulent Uygun is the first Turkish coach to train a Qatari football team. Former player of Turkey’s leading club Fenerbahce and coach of Sivasspor, Uygun completes his one and half years with Umm Salal and shares his experience in Qatar and future plans. AIMING BIG ON THE FOOTBALL PITCH P | 2-3 | MONDAY 1 JUNE 2015 | 02 FOOTBALL Bringing Qatar and Turkey closer through football BY FEYZA GUMUSLUOGLU Emir Cup) and finally become Asian champion. In order to Weiss from Lekhwiya, Abdulkarim, Al Haidos and Khalfan reach these goals I work very hard. Every coach has his from Al Sadd, Pedro from Al Ahli , Muntari from Al Jaish. Bulent Uygun is the first Turkish coach who has been own style of coaching. I also have my own style and am training an Arab football team. Former player of Turkey’s trying to develop it by adopting new trends and develop- You brought Turkish player Tuncay Sanli leading Fenerbahce and coach of Sivasspor, Uygun has ments in the world soccer. I try to create a style that will to Umm Salal. Any other transfer plan from been considered among the best in football field. As he consist of players who are skilful as Brazilians, disciplined Turkey? completes his one-and-half year with Qatari team Umm as Germans, fun as Americans, serious as British and We are considering few names right now. Probably Salal, Uygun shared his experience in Qatar and future warrior as Turks. we will make another transfer from Turkey for the next plans to Doha Today. season. Gokhan Tore, Mehmet Ekici, Emenike, Sneijder, Both in Turkey and Qatar, you have trained Burak Yilmaz and Mehmet Topal are the top names that How would you define your experience in teams in trouble. Isn’t it challenging? I would like to see here in Qatar. Qatar so far? To be honest, I enjoy more working with troubled Qatar is a great place to live in. Turkey and Qatar are teams, rather than successful ones. Troubled teams give World Cup will be held in winter instead of very similar to each other in terms of culture. Turks and me a greater experience and I feel that I learn and improve summer. It caused a big controversy. Do you Qataris have a lot in common. We had a long history myself more. Also, removing the negative energy on the support the decision? going all the way back to Ottoman period. The two are team and achieving the unimagined is a great joy. Both It is a very wise and right decision. For the first time ever, important actors in regional and international arena. I am in Turkey and Qatar, the teams were not doing very good footballers will play without feeling tired or having end-of- extremely delighted and honored to be of service here in when I took them over. But after a short period of time, season syndrome. They will play at their best performance this country. It is a place full of dreams. we started to see good results. and of course it will increase the quality of the games we will watch. Winter is the best time of the year in Qatar. What is your dream? If I ask you to count your ideal 11 in Qatar? With the best stadiums in the world, it will definitely be an My dream is to win the three cups (League, QNB and Lecomte, Muhammed Musa, Luiz, Chico, Nam Tee and excellent experience. | MONDAY 1 JUNE 2015 | 03 Can a coach really change a sports culture, not only football. Young team’s destiny? talents in Turkey are not as lucky as the The team and its coach are one. You ones here in Qatar. The government has can not think one without another. Of a great vision, from education to sports. course a good coach can make a big And it is a real chance for the youth here difference. But we should also consider because they have a great support from that in teams such as Barcelona, Real the government. Madrid or Chelsea, with such players you will be champion whoever you bring Qatar is very active in football, as a coach. Winning the cup does not as it owned Paris Saint Germain. always make you the best coach. The Why is football that important for same coach may not be that success- Qatar? ful in an average team. Rijkaard, for Qataris are key players in world instance, in Galatasaray, he did not economy. Being the owner of worldwide show the same success as he showed sports clubs is one of the best things in Barcelona and right now no one is that only Qatar can do! Football is one talking about him. of the most popular sports in the world and being involved in this field makes Which qualification of you you a key world player. impressed your club Umm Salal? My achievements at a young age in Football stadiums are usually Turkey impressed them. When I met empty here. How do you see our President, Sheikh Faisal for the first football culture in Qatar? time, he believed in me. I watched Umm There is a wide variety of sports Salal when I came to Qatar. After watch- activities here in Qatar. You do not ing, I told him that we would complete have football games only, you have the league as fifth. He said it would be almost every thing from handball to enough for the beginning if they avoid fencing. Therefore the spectators are being relegated. Indeed, we would have divided. Football stadiums are not full, completed the league as fifth if we won but this does not mean that people do the last match. not watch football games. Also, Qatari people prefer bringing the stadium envi- How is Umm Salal before and ronment in their own ‘majles’. They like after you? to watch the games in their comfortable It has been one and half year since I places, having shisha with their friends. came. I took over Umm Salal in a posi- tion of 12 weeks without any single win. Do you want to continue in At first it was very difficult, as there was Umm Salal or there is another a great negative energy on the team. team in your heart? Despite two world famous coaches in a Each and every coach have a dream row yet no win, it was very challenging to train a national team. Of course per- among all the possibilities. For sure the act like a sports ambassador here as for me to change its destiny. But thank sonally I have this dream, too. I would new season will be much more com- the relations between Turkey and Qatar God we have done a good job. A lot has like to train Qatar national team one day. petitive and delightful. In Umm Salal, are excellent in all areas. changed positively in only one and half we are like brothers with my President year. We are no longer seen as a team Barcelona or Real Madrid? Sheikh Faisal. But, our budget is not as You said money is not your pri- that can be defeated easily. Our rivals Barcelona! high as Al Sadd, Lekhwiya, Al Gharafa ority, yet many people think that take us more seriously now. or Al Arabi. We try to make the best your salary here is much higher Al Sadd recently signed a use of our current players. In terms of than in Turkey? Qatar and Turkey have devel- transfer agreement with famous transfer, we are in contact with three No, it is the same. People think that oped a very strong relationship Xavi. How do you see this international players right now, as well it is much higher but it is not. I was in the past few years. Can you transfer? as Qataris. Our goal as Umm Salal is to already among the best three coaches see its reflection on sports field? I congratulate the managers of Al win at least one cup next season. in Turkey, I was getting paid very well. Both countries have excellent rela- Sadd for brining one of the best mid- Therefore there is no radical change in tionship and this gives me a chance fielders in the world. They did not only Many famous coaches, includ- my salary. to act as a sports ambassador here in make a great contribution to their ing Zico, came to Qatar but they Qatar. In near future, we will witness a team, but also to Qatar. It is a great failed. Why? Qatar has been harshly criti- greater cooperation, not only in football and exclusive transfer, maybe the best Your real purpose of coming plays cised in terms of the rights of but other fields as well, with the com- one it could happen an essential role here. In general world workers who have been build- ing of more trainers and players. After famous coaches who are successful ing the future stadiums. What do Qatari and Turkish national teams play in their home countries face the same you think about it? a friendly match, it will even increase. syndrome when they move to another Working in construction area is risky country.