Intelligent, agile, and moral: Mert Günok…

Last night, there was great joy in Turkey and wherever a Turk lives in the world. 

Our National Football Team, one of the youngest teams in the European Football Championship, defeated Austria—a project team considered among the favorites of the tournament—to secure its place in the quarterfinals. 

The sports press will surely write and draw much about the match, but I want to draw attention to a completely different detail. To one of the team's elder figures, Mert Günok…

Did you notice what a well-raised, gentlemanly athlete he is…

Our national goalkeeper, who made a crucial save and delivered an extraordinary performance overall in our National Team's qualification for the quarterfinals, stands out as the profile of the athlete mentioned in the Great Leader Atatürk’s words: “I like an athlete who is intelligent, agile, and at the same time moral.” 

His humility when the microphone was extended to him, even with that adrenaline after his magnificent performance, was worthy of praise. 

While all of Europe is talking about him, he is humble enough to say, “There were moments when we didn't play well from time to time, but we knew how to pass this round with the struggle put forth by both my friends in defense and as a team. We need to keep our feet firmly on the ground.” 

While his teammates were dancing with joy in the locker room, he was captured on camera applauding with the gravitas of an elder. 

But TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi, who walked around the locker room with his phone in hand and exerted more effort than the kids on the field to call President Erdoğan at the first opportunity to receive his congratulations, implied that he was the architect of the success in his first statement by saying, “In my conversation with our players, I said, ‘We need to write a new history.’” 

Just let it go now, applaud these kids, and be able to say, “They did it. Good for our youth… The talent and success are theirs. We are just doing our job.” 

But with the TFF presidential election ahead, and while even he himself does not know whether he will be a candidate, implying “Look, this is my success” instead of saying that is nothing but a love for the seat. 

Take the team's elder, Mert, as an example; be humble like him. You will be both loved and, if you deserve it, you can stay in those seats. 

How do I know? 

Because we love not only the athlete but also the sports administrators who are intelligent and moral.