Rüştü backs Beşiktaş to come good

It has been a difficult start to the season for Beşiktaş JK but goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber says the Turkish titleholders still have time to make their mark in the UEFA Champions League and the Süper Lig. Speaking in the latest in a series of Q&As involving uefa.com users, the 36-year-old adds that he hopes to play for three more years and happily recalls the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

How far can Beşiktaş go in the UEFA Champions League?
Tolga Künalp, 24, Berlin, Germany

Rüştü Reçber: We plan to get through to the next round, but we haven't managed a win yet, so our aim is to win the rest of our games. Then, if we can't make it, our objective will be to play in the UEFA Europa League.
What has been missing for Beşiktaş this season?
Berkan Öztürk

Rüştü: We have played well in all our games, but haven't been able to convert that form into results.

How do you explain Beşiktaş's recent five-game scoring drought?
Ferhat Demiroglu, 15, Solothurn, Switzerland

Rüştü: There is something called luck in football – and I don't think luck was on our side during those weeks. The longer we went without scoring, the more the pressure grew and it hurt our forwards' confidence.
Can Beşiktaş successfully defend the Turkish title?
Damien Gorin

Rüştü: We have a quality squad and a very experienced coach. Everything can change. We will never lose our belief that we can win the championship. We are a very big team. We won't give up until it's mathematically impossible. We will give everything to defend our title.

Who was your favourite goalkeeper as a lad?
Conor McCabe, 16, Cork, Ireland

Rüştü: Peter Schmeichel. I also realised my dream of playing against him, first at EURO 96™ with the national team, then when I was playing for Fenerbahçe against Manchester United.

How and when did you decide to become a goalkeeper instead of an outfield player?
Destan Norman, 10, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Rüştü: I was playing right wing at the age of 17. But I had a coach who told me: "You're a tall player, you should try playing in goal." That's how I started out as a keeper.

How tough was it to leave Fenerbahçe after 12 seasons for rivals Beşiktaş?
Huseyin, 26, France

Rüştü: Needless to say, it wasn't easy. But circumstances forced my hand. I had no alternative at the time. It was a necessary decision from a professional perspective. That's why I left after 12 seasons. But I am playing at another big team now.

You were involved in Turkey's two biggest achievements in football: finishing third at the 2002 World Cup and reaching the UEFA EURO 2008™ semi-finals. How does it feel to have played in both and which meant more to you?
Murat

Rüştü: Finishing third at the 2002 World Cup was a bigger accomplishment because the biggest teams in the world were at that tournament. The whole world was watching. It was Turkey's first World Cup for 54 years and finishing third was a huge success. Personally, I think it was my best tournament – I was voted second-best goalkeeper of the tournament, and then selected as best keeper by uefa.com [uefa.com users' Team of 2002]. All very prestigious and a source of pride. That's why I won't forget 2002.

You made the decisive penalty save in the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final against Croatia. What is your secret to saving high-pressure penalties?
Abdurrahman Öztürk, 20, Switzerland

Rüştü: If you analyse the penalties in that match, three out of four went to the same corner. I saved one, two were off target and the other was scored. We had studied their penalty takers before the game.

Volkan Demirel aside, who do you think will be the next top keeper to emerge in Turkey?
Oktay İsmailoğlu

Rüştü: We lack experienced goalkeepers in Turkish football, but we do have brilliant keepers. Aside from Volkan Demirel, for example, Cenk Gönen who plays for Denizlispor is an intelligent keeper. Sinan Bolat at Standard Liège is already in the Turkey squad. Ufuk Ceylan at Galatasaray and Serkan Kırıntılı at Ankaragücü are other keepers with good ability. But to be a really top keeper, you need to play international football and gain that experience.

How long will you continue playing for?
atakan_sahan

Rüştü: It isn't easy playing in Turkey. Although I got used to all the criticism and stress, it still isn't easy to swallow all the criticism aimed at you. Some of it hurts. To answer your question, if I don't get a serious injury or suffer major health problems, my aim is to continue for at least three years.

Would you fancy a career in coaching when you retire?
Ufuk Karakuş, Friedrichshafen, Germany

Rüştü: Right now, I don't think I would become a manager or coach. I want to help Turkish football as an administrator or football director. Joining the football association is another option. All my plans are in that direction, but you never know what will happen.

You have played against some of the world's best players. But Turkey have had top players too. What separates the great players in Turkey from those in the rest of Europe?
Yavuz Tufan, 20, Melbourne, Australia

Rüştü: Youth development is the main difference. Also, a Turkish footballer is under pressure to win from the age of 15. That pressure – to be successful, not to make a single mistake in a game – causes stress. I don't think you get the same pressure in other countries. In other countries a player doesn't think about what happened in the last match, but if we lose, we still think about it three or four days later. That's a big handicap for a Turkish footballer.

What is the best match you have played in?
Peter Skala, 65, Bietigheim, Germany

Rüştü: The Turkey-Brazil semi-final at the 2002 World Cup. If we could get past Brazil, we were going to play in the World Cup final. It remains the favourite game of my career.

You must have played in some intimidating atmospheres. Which stadium scared you most?
Shaun Nightingale, 20, Ipswich, England

Rüştü: I have played in lots of stadiums in my career. Beşiktaş supporters aside, Old Trafford had a fascinating atmosphere and the atmosphere in Japan/South Korea was fantastic.

Do Turkey still have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup?
Atek, Turkey

Rüştü: We have a mathematical chance. Before our game against Belgium on Saturday, our rivals for second spot, Bosnia-Herzegovina, play Estonia. If Estonia get a result, we still have a chance. If not, we will play our games as a formality, and will play for pride.