Firstly, as a Galatasaray fan, I wholeheartedly congratulate Beşiktaş. Personally, I consider Beşiktaş our sister club because approximately 70% of our family is Galatasaray and 20% is Beşiktaş. The rest support Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor, and Gaziantepspor. Furthermore, Beşiktaş’s stadium and Galatasaray High School, the birthplace of Galatasaray, are in neighboring districts, so they have always been close clubs.
Regarding our topic, Beşiktaş deservedly won the championship this year, putting up a fierce fight, playing excellent football, and winning it with all their might.
This success was achieved under the leadership of Şenol Güneş, one of Turkey’s best managers. I’ve written many times before that Şenol Güneş is one of Turkey’s best managers, that the 2002 world championship finish wasn’t a fluke, that he proved by coaching the South Korean team he coached to consecutive championships, and that he was able to lead Trabzonspor to the highest level in Turkey despite difficult circumstances.
I also congratulate Beşiktaş on their beautiful stadium. They capped off their stadium’s opening with a championship victory, a magnificent finish. As the owners of the building directly behind, we also changed the building’s LED lighting system to black and white for the opening match, specifically for that evening, to contribute to the celebrations. It created a truly delightful spectacle. You can find Gökhan Karakaş’s report on this in Milliyet Newspaper below:
I would also like to share with you a photo taken during the championship celebrations, which includes Süzer Plaza.
While Beşiktaş’s stadium was being built, Max Zanardi, the then-General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, located directly behind it, implemented a peculiar practice. We were somewhat pleased with the dedicated work of the Beşiktaş construction team, who worked around the clock to complete the stadium, but we also received significant complaints from guests about the sound of construction echoing throughout the hotel. In response, the hotel management placed a card in each room, written by Zanardi himself, titled “You are witnessing history.” The Italian executive’s inscription on the card emphasized the importance of Beşiktaş and the stadium’s significance to them, and described the construction, visible from the hotel, as a “historical event.”
Max, whose wife was also Turkish, was a valued executive who had spent many years in Turkiye and both knew and loved the Turkish people intimately. He spoke Italian, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Turkish with near-native proficiency. His most important quality was his unique perspective and his ability to contribute positively to the environment. I met Max more than 10 years ago when he was the hotel’s food and beverage manager. He later continued his career at various Ritz-Carlton hotels and eventually returned to our hotel as general manager. Do you think Max’s bright idea worked? It worked, to some extent. Because customers’ tolerance thresholds were raised with this message, complaints decreased significantly.
Getting back to the topic at hand, can we say this championship has brought a happy ending?
I think Beşiktaş is still at the very beginning of its journey. Past achievements are, in a sense, a guarantee of the future. There are both admirers and detractors, but I must give credit where credit is due: Beşiktaş President Fikret Orman, the board of directors, and their team have done a great job. They did what needed to be done, minimizing any mistakes, and Beşiktaş is now starting to break free.
Of course, not everything is rosy. In my opinion, Beşiktaş has important things to do from now on. I share my thoughts and suggestions on this matter below:
- Creating an exemplary team in every aspect: Managers need to build teams that accurately represent the spirit of sports in every aspect, positively impact the nation’s spiritual state, boost morale, and guide society in the right direction. In this regard, they can look back and take the example of our great President, Süleyman Seba. If we want to create a sports club with exemplary character in every aspect, I believe the following actions are necessary (these apply to all sports clubs, of course):
- Players like Gökhan, who have a high potential for behavior that is completely incompatible with the spirit of sports, should not be tolerated just because they play good football, and principles should not be strayed from.
- Disruptive general assemblies should no longer be repeated. These incidents are unbecoming of Beşiktaş. Beşiktaş President Fikret Orman has a crucial role to play in this regard.
- Fans who swear or engage in fights should not be allowed into the stadium. Beşiktaş fans, like everyone else, love to have fun. This is completely normal and reflects the beauty of sports. However, excessive alcohol consumption before a match can trigger incidents in the stadium that are unbecoming of the spirit of sport. It must be emphasized that this will not be tolerated, and an environment must be created where families can comfortably come to the stadium and watch the match.
- Complaining about the referees after almost every match and attempts to manipulate public opinion must be abandoned. Such behavior is damaging to Turkish sports.
- Restoring the team’s financial situation: In my opinion, this is the most important issue for Beşiktaş, as it is for other teams. To ensure continuity and sustainable success within the team, the financial situation must be addressed. A common criticism is that Beşiktaş’s debt exceeds 1.3 billion TL. As someone in the business world, I personally wonder, “Who knows what kind of maneuvers are being made to service this debt?” and I believe the necessary measures must be taken as soon as possible to rectify this situation. I understand the need for higher budgets for the team’s success and growth, and even the need to strengthen the squad for next year’s Champions League. However, achieving budget balance requires very smart actions. It’s not my style to simply address a problem without offering a solution. Much needs to be done on this issue, and I have some ideas that I consider useful and creative. It’s always struck me as odd that clubs with millions of fans find themselves in financial difficulties. Sports clubs need to be managed better. Because many of my ideas and business models have been stolen by others in the past, I won’t share them here. If Galatasaray faces serious problems in the future and I’m asked for help, I’d be happy to do my part. In such a situation, I believe the work we do at Galatasaray will serve as an example for other teams. That’s all I can say for now.
- Life continues: I live near Beşiktaş’s stadium. For the past few weeks, including during the championship celebrations, they’ve been closing the road that runs along the coast near the stadium on the way to matches. Istanbul traffic, already a serious problem, is becoming a mess in that area. Beşiktaş, as we know it, is the people’s team. The people’s team shouldn’t fall into the position of “tormenting the people.” Because these road closures prevent many people from going home or to work, causing significant time loss. These arbitrary practices must be stopped.
I wouldn’t want to leave this article without mentioning the important Beşiktaş fans in my life. First and foremost, I’d like to commemorate my dearly departed Beşiktaş fans, Cengizhan and Hüseyin Süzer. May God rest their souls and rest in peace.
Cengizhan Süzer
Hüseyin Süzer
I’d also like to congratulate our family’s barber, Turhal Bey, and his brother, Hüseyin Bey. As men, we go to the barbershop not just for a shave, but also to chat, joke around, and discuss current events. My father’s barber, Turhal Bey, along with his brother, has been shaving us for many years, from the time we were in short pants to this day. Having been our barber for two generations, even shaving my grandfather, Turhal Bey is a truly special professional. He has a truly sweet voice. His most important quality is that he makes shaving a pleasure for us with his poetry, literature, jokes, and engaging conversation. His brother, Hüseyin Bey, is equally a gentleman and a pleasant conversationalist. Because his shop is located on a street that intersects İstiklal Avenue, he has many customers, especially Galatasaray fans and high school students. Barber Turhal Bey and his brother, Hüseyin Bey, are die-hard Beşiktaş fans, and they are loved by everyone for the qualities I mentioned. I congratulate these great Beşiktaş fans once again.
In the picture above, you can see Barber Turhal and his team, a selfie of me with Turhal’s brother Hüseyin Bey, and a picture of me shaving.
It looks like Galatasaray’s recovery will take a long time. In this period, it seems we will at least find solace in the success of our sister team, Beşiktaş.
Of course, my greatest wish is for all Turkish athletes and teams to achieve world-class success in various sports and represent our country in the best possible way.
On this occasion, I extend my best wishes to all of Turkey for 19 May, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.
Tag: special days
