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| There was much rejoicing on and off the pitch in Kayseri following the game against Greece's Larissa, with a personal call from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan topping off the celebrations ANKARA - Turkish Daily News Kayserispor managed a first in Turkish football history by becoming the third team representing Turkey in the UEFA Cup this year, alongside the Besiktas Black Eagles and the Trabzonspor Black Sea Storm. The Kayseri squad secured a spot in the UEFA Cup after winning the second leg 2-0 at home against Greek team Larissa. The first leg in Greece ended 0-0. Gökhan Ünal scored both goals for rampaging Kayserispor. In a game Kayserispor dominated, Gökhan put the home side in front on 32 minutes after latching on to Leonardo Iglesias' pass. He struck again nine minutes from time, collecting the ball from Bülent Bölükbaşı before unleashing a powerful shot to complete the scoring. There was much rejoicing on and off the pitch in Kayseri following the game, with a personal call from Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Erdoğan topping off the celebrations. Erdoğan placed a call to team manager Ertuğrul Sağlam and club chairman Recep Mamur to congratulate them on the win. Coach Sağlam invited the PM to their next UEFA game and said he was so happy to have made it to Europe. "I am so proud we achieved a first in the history of our team by earning a place in the UEFA Cup. It was a difficult game but we managed to overcome Larissa. I think playing against the Greeks have reinforced the friendship between the two countries, regardless of the outcome. There were no incidents and the players were a picture of sportsmanship." said the coach, and added: "I know we will continue to do well in the UEFA Cup." Larissa manager Donis Georgios congratulated Kayserispor and said: "We gained some very useful experience with this game. Kayserispor played well. We made a grave error that led to the first goal. It was a stressful game for us." The Greek squad thanked their Turkish opponents for their hospitality before making their exit from the tournament. The celebrations in the Kayserispor dressing room reached new heights when club officials announced each player would receive YTL 25,000 as a bonus. |