Turkey forward Serdar Gurler admits there are “no excuses” after their shock 2-1 defeat away at the Faroe Islands in the Nations League.
The hosts, ranked 83 places below the League C leaders in 125th in the world, have a population of fewer than 49,000.
Gurler scored late on for Turkey after Viljormur Davidsen and Joan Simun Edmundsson put the island nation ahead.
“We are incredibly sad. There is no excuse. Maybe we didn’t want it as much as they did. We didn’t fight,” he said.
The Turkish football federation has said it will back coach Stefan Kuntz despite the defeat. The German has seven wins from his 12 games in charge, with this result ending a five-game unbeaten run.
“We gained momentum with the new coach. We showed the positive image of this in June. The last two games made us consider what’s going on. We have taken a step back. But I stand by the coach,” board member Hamit Altintop told reporters.
Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik reacted to the defeat saying: “There are more goats than people on that island. Size doesn’t matter.”
Turkey beat the Faroe Islands 4-0 in the reverse fixture in June.
