Terim talks about Galatasaray transformation

Galatasaray AŞ's six-year UEFA Champions League group stage absence will end this season, aided by the return of a club favourite.

Former captain Fatih Terim began his first spell as coach in 1996 and won the title in each of his four seasons, culminating in a UEFA Cup victory. Last season, the former Turkey national coach returned for a third tenure at Galatasaray, leading a team that had finished eighth in 2010/11 to an impressive 18th championship. Now with less than two months to go before their UEFA Champions League return, Terim answered UEFA.com users' tweets and spoke about how he transformed the team, the importance of European success and why Galatasaray's youth system is reaping rewards.

@the_itouch: How do you rank the teams from the three spells you have had in charge at Galatasaray?

Terim: It's very clear. As long as no team surpasses the success that I had with the team that won the UEFA Cup, then it is very obvious which team I would put in first place.

@Turkish_Futbol: What are the main differences between coaching in Italy and Turkey?

Terim: The main difference is the media, the spectators, their approach to football and cultural differences.

@AlexAnderson54: You have worked as a manager at big clubs and the national team. In your opinion, what is the greatest club derby in the world?

Terim: I am lucky to have experienced two of them. Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe and Milan-Inter. Of course, everyone will say that it's their own country's derby. There's the Boca Juniors[-River Plate] derby in Argentina, in Brazil there are important derbies, in England there are the Manchester clubs and Manchester United-Arsenal. In Spain, there's Barcelona-Real Madrid which, in recent years, seems to have become the most important derby.

@TribunAtesi: Who do you think is the best manager ever: Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson, Marcello Lippi, or someone else?

Terim: I don't think it would be appropriate to put these managers in order. José Mourinho should be on this list too, if you look at his achievements so far. Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson mean a lot to football, and especially in England. Marcello Lippi is also a very good coach, but as I said before, I don't think you can put them in order. It's better to say they are all very successful football managers who have contributed a great deal to world football.

@rapidovski: Who is the best football player of all time and why?

Terim: The Pelé versus [Diego] Maradona debate is still ongoing. I have seen Maradona in the flesh, but I never saw Pelé play – I have only seen him on film. I would put Messi on the list too; he could be better than both of them. Messi is really something else. I used to be a big Pelé fan. I saw Maradona in Mexico in 1986. I had quit football and was there as a member of the press. I saw him from really close up and I was mesmerised by him. In my time there were some very important players, like [Johan] Cruyff and [Franz] Beckenbauer, but Messi is on his way to becoming the best of them all.

Watch the video above to see the interview.