Yandım Ali

It is not the first time we have seen a businessman on the football stage.

But Ali Koç was a first in his own style.

Young, handsome, charismatic, educated.

He was the grandson of the country's most beloved businessman, a group that is generally not very well-liked.

His father had no connection with the public. He was generous but distant.

His grandfather was stingy, or let's say thrifty to be polite, but he was sympathetic; he had won a place in the hearts of the people, especially because he spoke with an Ankara accent.

Ali Koç's father, on the other hand, spoke with an Istanbul accent.

Even though he was labeled a "mansion kid," Ali Koç's demeanor had the sincerity of a street kid.

That is why he was loved.

The fact that he gave his poses not from London, but from Bahçeli's office, allowed him to get closer to the fans and the public, although it backfired when taken too far.

But the real issue did not end there.

He could not manage the "boss's son" perception well.

He treated those around him like an employee at Arçelik.

And he made the most critical mistake: He did not listen to people who understood the nature of football, but to bow-tied professionals who worked in his companies, spoke three languages, and had seen Europe.

They might have been successful in the business world, but they did not understand football.

Ali Koç thought managing football was like managing a company.

However, football was a different world.

He could not manage his arrogance either.

He even spoke out of turn against President Aziz, who stood tall against FETÖ, which collapsed the Turkish army but crashed into the Fenerbahçe wall.

I am not even counting the Yoğurtçu scandal...

In short, the biggest reason for Ali Koç's failure was that he listened to "career-oriented and Westernized" professionals instead of those who understood football.

Knowing languages, seeing Europe, getting a good education... None of these meant anything on their own in football.

He could not fully decipher the codes of the Republic's team, the hundred-year-old Fenerbahçe, and he underestimated its fans.

He saw who was greater than whom.