Last year was a terrible season. Constant fights, noise, refereeing errors, manipulations by those most unjust, ugly behaviors from club officials acting with a “whatever it takes” mentality to win the championship, the soccer federation’s incompetence, many financially bankrupt clubs sinking even deeper, failures in Europe, and more…
Amid this ridiculous chain of events, the rivalry between Istanbul’s two big teams, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, has almost turned into a blood feud. Despite record-breaking point totals and a gap of more than 30 points over the league’s third-place team Trabzonspor, this ugly rivalry grows worse every year, reaching new and disturbing levels.
Don’t Add Salt to the Wound
Of course, the Galatasaray community has its faults too. As a Galatasaray fan, I’ve repeatedly said in previous blog posts that it’s not right to rub salt in the wound and that respect should be shown to the opponent even when we win or are ahead. But things have gotten so bad that, fueled by the anger the two fanbases feel toward each other, there is an all-out war raging between millions of fans on both social media and traditional media alike.
When I wrote about Ali Koç, I became aware of social media trolls who fan the flames of this conflict. You can read more about H. Serhan Süzer – Ali Koç and short circuits like them at the link: (serhansuzer.com) Unfortunately, the culture of mass attacks has become widespread on both sides.
The Root of the Problem
While I say Galatasaray is also at fault here, I especially want to emphasize that in recent years the main source of the problem has been Ali Koç and his management. Wherever there is a fight, noise, dispute, provocation, harassment, or manipulation, you will find Ali Koç and his administration involved. Unfortunately, they are managing with the mindset that “whatever it takes” to become champion is acceptable. They are unaware that by managing Fenerbahçe with this reflex, they are causing serious harm first to themselves, then to their families (or family businesses), to Fenerbahçe, and ultimately to Turkey.
What Happened in the Second Week
Now, early in the league, let’s look at what happened in Week 2:
- In the Konyaspor vs. Galatasaray game, Galatasaray’s legitimate third goal was disallowed. The score was 2-1 in favor of Galatasaray, but they continued under the risk of losing points. However, no one understood why this important third goal was canceled. After the VAR reviews were released, the scandal became glaringly obvious and it became clearly evident that the VAR referee deliberately caused this obvious error. You can read more on the matter at https://www.t24.com.tr/haber/eray-yazgan-dan-var-kayitlari-hakkinda-aciklama-dinleyince-kanimiz-dondu,1180269, as well as listen to these recordings and witness firsthand the referee’s negligence and how he pressures the center referee to forcibly cancel the goal. Among the referees, a ridiculous dialogue goes like this:https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-5y Wf0J55D/?igsh=MmJtaGl1Y3p3eHdk.
– The Konyaspor player is going for the ball because the Galatasaray player kicked his foot.
– He’s hitting the ball because he put his foot in front of the Konyaspor player.
Are you mocking people’s intelligence? In my opinion, such a VAR referee should never be trusted and his refereeing license should be revoked.
- Let’s look at the wrong calls made during the Göztepe-Fenerbahçe game:
– At the 29th minute, Göztepe’s Romulo scored a legitimate goal. No one understood why the goal was disallowed. The ball neither went out of bounds nor was there a foul.
– The penalty Fenerbahçe was awarded in stoppage time of the first half was not a penalty. A blatantly wrong decision like a joke.
– Yusuf En-Nesyri’s goal was scored exactly at 51:49. The referee had given 6 minutes of stoppage time to the first half. Normally, the game should have ended by the 51st minute, but the referee arbitrarily extended the game by 50 more seconds, allowing the Fenerbahçe attack to continue and the goal to count, making the score 2-0 in favor of Fenerbahçe. The referee should not have let the game continue past the added time, so I believe the goal was not legitimate.
– At the 70th minute, Fenerbahçe player Alain Saint-Maximin stepped on the ankle of Göztepe’s Koray Günter with the sole of his foot. This is unquestionably a direct red card. For some reason, the referee changed this rule according to his own discretion and gave Saint-Maximin a yellow card.
It could have been 3-0 instead of 2-2
If the above wrong decisions hadn’t happened, this game could have ended 3-0 in favor of Göztepe instead of 2-2. Of course, if the referee had shown impartiality, Fenerbahçe would have played one player short from the 70th minute onward, which is worth noting.
You can read all the published VAR recordings at this link:
https://gazeteoksijen.com/spor/trendyol-super-ligde-2-hafta-var-kayitlari-aciklandi-220501
On the field despite the ban
Now let’s look at this from Göztepe’s perspective. In a 0-0 game, during stoppage time of the first half, two goals suddenly changed the score to 2-0—one from a dubious penalty and the other from the referee allowing the game to continue beyond normal stoppage time in favor of Fenerbahçe. They ended the first half behind 2-0 on their own field due to these unfair decisions.
As if that wasn’t enough, despite receiving a 90-day stadium ban*, Ali Koç ignored the rule and entered the field during halftime, and even after the second half started, he didn’t leave the field and wandered around during the game. Wouldn’t such behavior by a club president raise tensions in the stadium to the maximum? Is it normal for Ali Koç to roam the field while the game is ongoing?
(*Ali Koç received this penalty for storming Galatasaray Stadium with armed guards after their 1-0 victory where the winning goal was scored from a foul.)
If you’re going to show bravery in protecting your fans’ rights, that’s not done by storming the field with armed guards. You delegate your officials or professionals who can talk directly with the relevant Göztepe authorities and try to solve the problem. What’s the point of pouring gasoline on the fire just to please your own supporters? In situations like this, Ali Koç, who hasn’t learned the necessary lessons, was eventually pushed and knocked down by a Göztepe official who lost his temper. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Very risky waters
However, I want to remind everyone: this incident only ended with a push and a fall (look at the position of the FB president who fell). God forbid, if Ali Koç continues with such provocations, he could face dangers far beyond just being pushed—he might even face a lynching threat. Given his position, he needs to act very carefully. These kinds of events carry the risk of starting a civil war. This is not a joke. I strongly advise him to stop stirring people against each other and provoking conflicts. He should find the calmest, least hurtful way to solve problems without causing misunderstandings.
“To be disgraced by your own money”
It’s true that Ali Koç has mobilized all possible resources for Fenerbahçe. Koç Holding provides both direct and indirect financial support to the club. I say “direct” because Ali Koç personally finances Fenerbahçe from his own pocket. I’m not sure if this is a loan or a grant, but somehow he is directly funding the club. The indirect support comes from Koç Holding’s subsidiaries sponsoring various branches of Fenerbahçe and providing many other forms of assistance (such as access to company resources).
At this point, the Turkish phrase “to be disgraced by one’s own money” perfectly summarizes Ali Koç’s last six years. The ironic part is that despite all failures, he doesn’t give up and worsens the situation with an attitude that deepens problems. Whether consciously or not, the greatest harm he has done is dividing the country. The biggest problem of this nation is the constant environment of division and conflict. Artificial controversies and divisions based on Turkish-Kurdish, Alevi-Sunni, this sect-that sect, this province-neighboring province have sadly now been joined by the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe rivalry.
The real issue should be creating a high-standard, happy life for all people and living beings on Earth. Everything else is meaningless. People in power must work and strive for this. Ali Koç, on the contrary, should avoid moves that pit people against each other.
Ali Koç doesn’t learn; the solution lies with the federation
Despite all the writing and talk, Ali Koç doesn’t learn and even increases the intensity of his actions. The federation must bring a definite solution to this situation. Despite a 90-day ban, Ali Koç still entered the field with his guards to put on a show. I believe he should be given a minimum six-month ban from all rights (non-commutable with money) as a warning. If after six months he still refuses to learn and continues his provocative actions, then he should be banned for life and expelled from Turkish sports. This applies to all sports executives. For example, last year the Ankaragücü president who assaulted a referee should receive at least two years in prison and a lifetime ban. Such people should not be allowed to enter stadiums or watch games as spectators, let alone serve as executives.
The federation inspires no confidence
I’m writing all this, but where are the federation officials who will insist on the truth? The former Trabzonspor president and current Soccer Federation president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu — will he keep his promises? I doubt it. I think many promises, especially justice, will not be fulfilled, and the chaos will continue at full speed.
How do I know this? Look at the federation vice president: Mecnun Odyakmaz, former Sivasspor president and known Fenerbahçe supporter. He was punished for game-fixing and sanctioned by UEFA. Now he is the second-in-command in the federation that sets and enforces the rules. Such a disgrace can only happen in a country like Turkey. In a developed country, anyone penalized for game-fixing would be barred from continuing as a club official and absolutely forbidden from holding any federation position.
The fish rots from the head. The scandals in the second week are a warning sign for much bigger problems ahead. Remember you heard it here first.
Tags: special occasions
