Chibuike Nwaiwu has revealed the message from new Trabzonspor manager Thomas Reis that helped the team stay focused during their stunning 4-0 victory over Galatasaray on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Trabzonspor produced one of their biggest results of the Turkish Süper Lig season at Papara Park, beating the defending champions 4-0 and ending their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign.
Mohamed Salah was the star of the night, scoring in the fourth, 44th and 80th minutes, while Noah Saviolo added another in the 39th minute.
But Nwaiwu believes the result was built on hard work during a difficult week and the team's ability to follow Reis' instructions, even after taking a three-goal lead before half-time.
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Nwaiwu reveals what Reis told Trabzonspor at half-time
Nwaiwu started at centre-back and played the full 90 minutes. He was also involved in an important defensive moment in the 15th minute when he stopped Leroy Sané as Galatasaray tried to respond to Salah's early goal.
The Nigeria international said the players knew they could not relax despite leading 3-0 at the break.
“We went into the locker room at halftime,” Nwaiwu said as per Haber61. “Among the things we talked about, along with our teammates, were what our coach told us: that we needed to keep going, maintain the score, and that we could finish the match with even higher scores.”
Nwaiwu stressed that Galatasaray remained a dangerous opponent despite the huge half-time deficit.
“Because we are up against a formidable opponent. The discussion focused on the need for us to continue in this serious manner.”
That approach paid off. Salah completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute after Ozan Tufan sent him through, giving Trabzonspor a fourth goal and completing a remarkable opening-night victory for Reis.
Nwaiwu said the players had spent the week preparing intensely for the match after the coaching change.
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“It was a tough week for us. You know, we worked all week for this challenging match after the spring break. With our new coach, we’ve been playing with more rhythm, and I want to dedicate this to our fans.”
The defender also praised Reis, who was appointed just two days before the match following Fatih Tekke's departure.
“If I have to talk about him, I would say he is a very good coach. I think he will become a part of our family.”
Nwaiwu dedicates Galatasaray win to Trabzonspor fans
Nwaiwu said the players wanted to reward the Trabzonspor supporters who stayed behind the team throughout the match.
“First of all, we want to thank our fans who came here to support us and cheered us on until the very last second, and we want to dedicate this victory to them.”
The 4-0 result was also significant because Galatasaray had entered the match unbeaten and leading the Süper Lig. Trabzonspor's victory handed them their first defeat of the campaign.
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Nwaiwu said the players must now use the result as a starting point rather than become satisfied with one big victory.
“After that, we went out there and achieved results with a different mindset. We need to continue working hard in the same way and look ahead.”
He also backed Reis to bring more success to Trabzonspor.
“I hope that together we will achieve many successes, that we will win many victories.”
With the win, Trabzonspor now have ten points, three fewer than leaders Galatasaray and climb up to fifth on the table. Besiktas, who currently occupy second spot, can overtake Galatasaray with a win at Amed SK on Sunday.
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