Wilfred Ndidi has vowed that Besiktas will give their all when they open their UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign against Danish side Midtjylland later this month.
The Super Eagles captain spoke to beIN Sports Turkiye during the club’s pre-season training camp, addressing the upcoming second qualifying round tie set for July 23 and July 30.
Ndidi said the team will fight to be at their best for the first game against Midtjylland, adding that the squad needs to improve daily under new head coach Vincenzo Italiano. He also touched on how pre-season camp is progressing, noting that the players are getting more time to understand the Italian tactician’s system and what he wants from the group.
The comments come as Besiktas continue preparations in Slovakia ahead of a season in which European qualification football returns to the Vodafone Park club’s calendar. The Black Eagles finished fourth in the Turkish Super Lig last season, a campaign that ultimately cost former coach Sergen Yalcin his job.
Ndidi has also spoken previously about settling into Italiano’s tactical demands, explaining in comments carried by [PUNCH Sports, that players are not tied to rigid positions under the new manager. He described being encouraged to contribute at both ends of the pitch rather than sticking strictly to a holding midfield role.
That adjustment comes against a backdrop of transfer speculation that has followed Ndidi through the close season. Premier League clubs Manchester United and Hull City, along with sides in Saudi Arabia, have been credited with interest in the 29 year old, though Besiktas are reportedly only willing to let him go for a fee close to the eight million euros they paid Leicester City for him last year.
The tie against Midtjylland carries an added layer of interest for Nigerian football followers. The Danish club have built a reputation for developing young Nigerian talent, and their squad now includes forward Stanley Iheanacho, who returned to the club last month on a deal running until December after two productive seasons with Portuguese side CD Mafra.
Midtjylland’s Nigerian pipeline has previously produced players such as Paul Onuachu, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, and the club finished second in the Danish Superliga last season. That means Ndidi’s Besiktas side will face a Nigerian influence on both benches when the tie kicks off, even if Iheanacho’s involvement in the first leg is yet to be confirmed.
Besiktas host the first leg on July 23 before travelling to Denmark for the return fixture on July 30. Victory across the two legs would send the Turkish side into the next stage of Europa League qualifying, continuing their push to secure continental football for the coming campaign.
The tie also represents an opportunity to state his case at a club still working out his long term role, with his future beyond the summer window still unresolved heading into a season that will test both his fitness after recent injury setbacks and his adaptability under a new manager.
