At the end of this short getaway, my flight was delayed for three and a half hours, so I decided to write. As I sit in Dalaman Airport watching the Fenerbahçe-Trabzonspor game, I’ll try to share some thoughts.
First off, I was sitting at a café in Dalyan to watch yesterday’s Beşiktaş-Galatasaray derby game, and I have to say I was disappointed that the game was postponed due to bad weather. Unless something else goes wrong, I hope we get to watch it soon. While I’m on the topic of Galatasaray, I want to briefly touch on the much-discussed Melo incident that’s been making headlines lately.
If you ask me, Melo should not have been pardoned for what went down. The Melo-Riera fight was full of bizarre and inappropriate behavior that didn’t suit a club like Galatasaray. If it had been a scuffle that broke out during training, you might chalk it up to the heat of the moment. But hearing that, half an hour later, the equipment manager was sent out, the door locked, and Riera was then beaten—that sent chills down my spine. It made me say, “This man has no place at Galatasaray.” Honestly, giving someone with limited soccer skills the number 10 jersey—which holds deep symbolic value for us due to legends like Metin Oktay and Hagi—was a mistake to begin with.
As a Galatasaray fan, I wish we could have played this Super Final without Melo. Even if it meant losing the championship, I would’ve wholeheartedly supported the Galatasaray board and Fatih Terim for standing by their principles. But to be frank, the fact that someone responsible for such an incident was forgiven left a sour taste in my mouth—and knowing he’ll play in the Super Final has really dampened my enthusiasm.
As for the Super Final itself, I want to say that I view it very positively. Contrary to the criticism, I think the Super Final format has brought great excitement to our league. Just imagine—six additional derby games added at the end of the season! That’s a huge win both for the broadcaster, which is soccer’s biggest financial backer, and for fans who now get to watch six more high-stakes games. The system also has the potential to reduce the impact of game-fixing allegations. Given the recent events in Turkish soccer, this format could reignite waning interest in the sport. I want to congratulate all the Federation officials who came up with and implemented the Super Final.
The only thing I don’t understand is why the teams’ points were halved at the end of the regular season. Personally, I think it would have made more sense for every team to carry their full point total into the Super Final. Regardless, I believe this system should continue next season. Let the excitement in soccer never end.
With that, I wish all the teams success, and may the best playing team win. Let’s not forget that soccer is meant to be fun—so let’s enjoy the Super Final!
Tag: sports
