If football is not just football, then what is it?

Football holds a significant place in the lives of many people. For some, this place and meaning reach the level of passion, and for others, fanaticism.

The title of Simon Kuper’s book, which was published in England, translated into Turkish, and received great attention, “Football Against the Enemy” (originally titled “Football Against the Enemy”, though the Turkish translation is literally “Football is never just football”), contains many problems and questions within it. Is it possible to evaluate football only as a sport?

In our country's agenda, which changes by the hour, what has been happening in football, especially recently, is like a summary of our times. Stadiums are almost a mirror of the country. To capture the spirit of the times and analyze it, one needs to look at the stadiums.

The president of a sports club with a history of more than a hundred years enters the pitch after the final whistle of a match and punches a referee whose decisions he did not like. Then, other individuals kick the referee who has fallen to the ground. The aftermath is well-known. Matches are postponed indefinitely. Detention, arrests, resignation from the club presidency. And finally, a ban from football…

Much has been said, much has been written. This is certainly not the first incident of violence seen in these stadiums. But the magnitude of the effect it created in society lies in the person who committed the violence and the scale of that violence. 

Why does a club president punch a referee?

Is the person who threw that punch just an individual with power and authority in his hands, or is he the embodiment of lawlessness and disregard for rules, along with the power he relies on?

We need to change the perception that ‘This is Turkey; it happens today, it is forgotten tomorrow’. We must further strengthen our social memory.  

Measures against violence must be increased and sanctions must be applied both in sports and in every area of life.

“FOOTBALL IS BEAUTIFUL ON THE FIELD, NOT ON THE STOCK MARKET”

Speaking of football, I would also like to express my opinion on a topic that has been on the country's agenda for a short while.

The chain, which includes celebrities and football players who lost their money, and which is called the “Fatih Terim Fund”, is the topic I am referring to.

These celebrities, football players, and other people do not enter this Ponzi scheme out of “naivety.” The “Ponzi schemes” established for the greed of earning more money were described in the TV series “Babil,” which was broadcast years ago and starred Halit Ergenç. Professor İrfan (the character played by Halit Ergenç), in the role of an economics professor, was saying, “No one is stupid, everyone enters these chains to earn more.”

While talking about football and football players, Galatasaray’s legendary left winger, ‘Çizgi Metin’ (Metin of the Line), came to my mind. Metin Kurt had said, “Football is beautiful on the field, not on the stock market.” He was against industrial football. He had founded a union for sports laborers. He had a different understanding of football, both with his political stance and principles, and with the moral values he adopted. 

I wondered how Metin Kurt, who had a pro-society stance and was known for his progressive identity, would have interpreted these events if he were alive today. What would he have said about the state of people, including those who wore the same team's jersey, who entered this cycle for the sake of more money?

Amidst this decay, surrounded by those who have no conscientious, humanitarian, or social concerns other than the seats they occupy, their talents, and their expertise, Metin Kurt stands like a narcissus in a swamp. And the principles and values he protected…

Let this be a reminder for those who know, and a brief introduction for those who do not…