Abdulkadir Selvi defends Erdoğan in Super Cup scandal; targets club presidents! 'For the sake of a few pennies...'

Despite all public reactions, it was decided that the Super Cup final, which was to be played between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in the 100th year of the Republic, would be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Hours before the match, which was planned to be played on December 29, Saudi authorities did not allow the teams to take the field with Atatürk banners and t-shirts, leading Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray to decide not to take the field.

While reactions against the TFF and the government continued in the public eye following the scandal, Hürriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, known for his proximity to the government, also got involved in the Super Cup crisis.

HE DEFENDED ERDOĞAN, BLAMED THE TFF AND THE PRESIDENTS

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reacting to the criticisms directed at him, Selvi asked TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi, Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç, and Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek, "You turned a sporting event into a disgrace for the sake of a few pennies; so, are you thinking of resigning?"

Selvi, who began his article by saying, "It would have been more elegant for the Super Cup to be played in Samsun or in Ankara, the capital of the Republic, in the hundredth year of the Republic. The first button was buttoned incorrectly. After that, mistakes followed one another," noted the following:

"But the public was never aware of this. An atmosphere was created as if Erdoğan had given his word to the Saudi Arabian regime, and that is why our two distinguished teams had to play the match in Arabia. A perception operation began. However, it later emerged that Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Büyükekşi conveyed an offer to the presidents of the Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray clubs that they would earn 4 million dollars in exchange for playing the Super Cup match in Saudi Arabia. The presidents accepted."

Reminding of Rıdvan Dilmen's words that President Erdoğan also did not want the match to be played in Saudi Arabia, Selvi wrote that a protocol was signed between the Turkish and Saudi Arabian Football Federations on October 20, 2023, that an agreement was reached regarding the playing of the National Anthem and the use of Turkish flags before the match, and that it was decided that Norm Ender would sing the National Anthem. Claiming that an operation was launched on the day of the match, Selvi wrote, "In this process, I understood once again that football is not just football."

"IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SPEAK NOW, WHEN WILL YOU SPEAK?"

"Look, so many events have happened. Football Federation President Mehmet Büyükekşi, Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç, and Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek did not open their mouths to say a single word. Is it time to be silent now?" reacted Selvi, asking, "Mehmet Büyükekşi, Ali Koç, and Dursun Özbek, I am addressing you from here: If you are not going to speak now, when will you speak?" Selvi asked, "If Mehmet Büyükekşi is involved in an event, it means one crisis; if Ali Koç is involved, it means two crises. You turned a sporting event into a disgrace for the sake of a few pennies. So, are you thinking of resigning?"

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