Last Tuesday, while traveling on a flight to Los Angeles, I felt compelled to write about something I’ve wanted to express for a long time. Our topic is Galatasaray.
Things seem to be going well for Galatasaray. The club is currently leading the Turkish Super League with 37 points, has advanced out of the Champions’ League group stage, and is set to face a relatively manageable opponent, Schalke, in the next round. They’ve also successfully brought in two world-class players during the mid-season transfer window: Sneijder and Drogba. Credit for these transfers must go to Galatasaray President Ünal Aysal and the Board of Directors. Fans even joke in forums, saying, “The president promised us a cherry on top, and gave us a full fruit platter instead.” Galatasaray’s sporting success this year isn’t limited to soccer either. The club is aiming for the top in basketball, volleyball, and all other amateur sports branches as well making the necessary transfers and doing what needs to be done. Moreover, there have been significant improvements in financial management. Revenues are steadily increasing. After these high-profile signings, another surge in jersey sales is expected. Debt is decreasing. All the right steps are being taken for the club’s success, and Galatasaray is showing signs of returning to the glorious days of the late 1990s, shedding the apathy that cloaked the club over the last decade.
More importantly, Galatasaray is beginning to pull away from other clubs and is finding itself in an increasingly powerful position. As I mentioned earlier, my main reason for writing this is to remind us that the moments when we feel most powerful are also when we’re most vulnerable to serious mistakes. There’s still a lot of work to do. As a devoted Galatasaray fan, I want to highlight the risks and tasks ahead, and offer some insights:
- Schalke Games Are Critical
The upcoming games against Schalke in the Champions League are a turning point. If we make it past this round, it gives meaning to the costly transfers. In my view, if we beat Schalke, we could go all the way to the final. But German teams tend to be tricky for us. If we don’t advance, we’ll be stuck with high-profile signings playing only in the domestic league, and their cost won’t yield returns. It will also fall on Fatih Terim to keep these star players motivated for the Turkish league and the next season.
- We Must Improve in the Second Half of the League
Things may seem fine in the soccer team, and much of the credit belongs to Fatih Terim, who’s been successfully bringing Galatasaray back to its old form. We’ve also been a bit lucky this season. If we had the same point total last season, we’d have been in 4th place. Every time we slipped up, so did our rivals. But from now on, title-contending teams will focus and drop fewer points. We can’t afford to be as generous with point losses as we were in the first half. A stronger second half is a must.
- Youth Development (Academy)
We’re not giving enough attention to youth development. Maybe there are efforts behind the scenes, but I’m focused on results. How many players from our academy have made it to the first team in the last five years? Looking at the numbers, we’re still operating with the Real Madrid model—big signings instead of homegrown talent.
I personally support Real Madrid in Spain, but I don’t favor a style of play built solely around expensive stars. I believe Barcelona’s model is the correct one for soccer—think Messi, who became what he is thanks to their system. Instead of pouring all that money into signings, we could invest part of it into youth development and regularly produce at least two quality first-team players each year.
Not only would these players cost far less, but they could also go on to serve the club for 10–15 years—like Bülent Korkmaz—or be sold for a significant transfer fee. Galatasaray’s success in the late ’90s was built on long-term planning and investment in youth. Nowadays, we’ve taken the easy route with the Real Madrid model. Short-term excitement is fine, but if we don’t balance that with investment in youth, our success won’t be sustainable.
- Younger Transfers
All recent signings are over 25. For long-term success, we need players under 25. One of the best signings in club history was Ribery. When he arrived at 22, Fenerbahçe fans mocked us while they were signing Anelka. But look at Ribery now—one of the world’s best at Bayern Munich.
If we had held on to him, he could have become a legend like Hagi or brought in a hefty transfer fee. (We failed to pay him on time, so he left for free and moved to Marseille, then Bayern for a big fee.) Going forward, our transfer policy—domestic or foreign—should focus on young, high-potential players.
- Smart, Balanced Transfers
Most transfers have been to midfield and forward positions, but our biggest weakness is defense. We need at least two defensive signings: a left-back and a center-back. We concede too many headers and lose players on the left flank. Defensive signings must be tall (ideally over 6’2″), strong, fast, and good in the air. In modern soccer, defenders also need to be capable of building play from the back.
- Basketball
We need to be more cautious in non-soccer branches. While we brought in Ergin Ataman—who led Beşiktaş to multiple championships last year—our basketball team is now struggling. Last season, we had the Cemal Nalga scandal, and now Hawkins has tested positive for a banned substance. Signing Hawkins and Ataman may not be paying off.
We didn’t need to go head-to-head with Beşiktaş over these transfers. Maybe we should have kept coach Oktay Mahmudi or hired another successful coach. Either way, we need to give Ergin Ataman at least two seasons and make long-term plans. Even if this season doesn’t go well, he could achieve great success in the future.
- Management Weaknesses: We hear rumors of divisions within the board. This is not healthy. For continued success, the board must be unified. This responsibility falls heavily on the president.
- Athletes as Role Models: There are two types of athletes: those with strong character and professionalism, and those who are reckless, aggressive, and focused only on winning at all costs. Unfortunately, the latter are plentiful. At Galatasaray, Melo is the prime example of the second type. I shared my views in detail in my 16 April 2012 article, and I believe I was right. In the recent Beşiktaş game, he again displayed unacceptable behavior. This is a player who has physically attacked teammates, joined the team late, tweeted inappropriate vacation photos, and still underperforms. He’s reckless, often faces red card risks, and most recently got sent off for spitting at an opponent. In short, there’s no justification for keeping him. We must stop tolerating such behavior just because of on-field contributions. Soccer is a massive influence in society—it can guide people toward peace and prosperity. That’s why we need strong role models. I can’t understand how someone like Melo is allowed to wear the number 10 jersey once worn by Metin Oktay. He sets a terrible example for youth and promotes violence. We need more players like Elmander—strong character, professional, a true team player.
- Sharing the Stadium with Beşiktaş: In my view, it was a mistake not to allow Beşiktaş to use our stadium temporarily. Beşiktaş’s İnönü Stadium is walking distance from Galatasaray High School. Historically, the two clubs have had friendly relations. Letting Beşiktaş use our stadium would have strengthened that bond and generated extra income. As someone with a box seat at the Arena, I’m personally open to sharing it with our Beşiktaş brothers, at least until their new stadium is ready.
- Amateur Sports: Galatasaray is one of Türkiye’s top sports clubs and represents the country globally. I believe the club should invest more in amateur branches. With modest investments, Galatasaray could help produce Olympic medalists and spread sporting success and income across disciplines.
We all want Türkiye to succeed in sports. There are many success stories waiting to happen—as long as we take the right steps and support amateur sports.
In closing, I’d like to extend my condolences to the late-Mehmet Ali Birand, a great Galatasaray fan who regularly attended games with his son and sat just three rows in front of me at the old Ali Sami Yen stadium. I also send my sympathies to the families and loved ones of Burhan Doğançay, Prof. Dr. Toktamış Ateş, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Mete Işıkara, and Ferdi Özbeğen, all of whom passed away this January.
We haven’t had a good start to 2013 as a nation, but I hope the rest of the year brings better days.
Wishing success to our beloved Galatasaray and all Turkish teams in international competitions this year.
Tags: sports
