Ali Koç speaks harshly: We will dismantle this system

Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç made significant statements at the World Fenerbahçeliler Day event organized by the Bodrum Fenerbahçeliler Association.

Calling on fans to be patient, Koç said, “We will hold a Fenerbahçe rally in Istanbul very soon. Because we have started a struggle against a system. We are at the beginning of that struggle. Our community is impatient. Yesterday, there were those who tore me down, saying, ‘The man is a candidate again, the man will be president again, it will be like this, it will be like that.’

Be patient, friends. Things built over 20 or 25 years do not change in 20 or 25 days. Please be a little patient,” he said.

“PLEASE DO NOT SPEAK ILL OF ALI SAMI YEN”

Intervening in the fans' chants regarding Galatasaray founder Ali Sami Yen, Ali Koç said, “No, there is no need. Please do not speak ill of Ali Sami Yen where I am present.” Koç continued his words as follows:

“I explained yesterday at the TFF general assembly what happened and why we think it happened. If a club is staying there with a 1-2 point difference between the first and second place in total points over 10 years, and if they don't win a trophy in 10 years while those in the top 5 do, this cannot be explained by any sporting logic or reason. We are going through a period of crisis, but we are going through this not for sporting reasons, but because we are being targeted.

Maybe the speech I made yesterday will make us a target again, but it doesn't matter. We will never compromise on our beliefs, our stance, our principles, and the responsibility the Republic has placed upon us for the sake of championships, success, or for the sake of having our cheeks pinched, or for the interests of our zoning projects, or for anything else. I hope this stance will continue, not only with the presidents before me, but also during my term and the terms after me. Is there a price for this? Yes. But believe me, the days when we will reap the rewards of this are very close. Be patient, support us a little.”

“WE WILL DISMANTLE THIS SYSTEM”

Continuing his statement by saying, “We will dismantle this system,” Ali Koç said, “When I say this system, I am not getting into politics or anything like that. I am speaking to those who use the name, power, and so on of politics, and when the time comes, use the authority and power of our President without his knowledge, lobbying here and there to design football as they wish; your end is near.”

“THEY PLEASANTLY WATCHED THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST ME”

Speaking about their rivals, Fenerbahçe President Koç continued his words:

“We have a rival that says white one day and black the next. One day they support someone, the next day they sell them out. If what we experienced in Riyadh had been experienced by that club after Riyadh, I would have been the first to come out and say, ‘Don't be unfair, we are all responsible, we were all there, it was all our decision.’ They pulled back into a corner and pleasantly watched the conspiracy against us, against me. What they watched with pleasure will happen to them one day. The saying ‘Don't laugh at your neighbor, it will come to you’ was not said in vain.”

Reminding that Fenerbahçe is sending 27 athletes to the Olympics, Ali Yıldırım Koç said, “The Olympics are starting. Fenerbahçe Sports Club has once again given the greatest support to our delegation with 27 athletes, as it did last time when it was 22. May the path of our entire delegation be clear, may they have plenty of luck, may God be with them, and I hope they return from the Olympics with the most medals.”

Speaking about transfer efforts, Koç stated that they are in consultation with Head Coach Jose Mourinho and said, “We needed 3-4 transfers. We wanted 2 wingers, a striker, and a center-back. The coach wanted this. He especially wanted Çağlar, and we finished it. We were choosing between Maximin and Lauriente. Both were possible, we finished Maximin. For the second winger, there is a 12-foreigner rule; if we sign a foreigner, what positions will we sacrifice? We signed Oğuz Aydın. I came home in the evening and turned on a sports program to see what happened in the elections. They were doing an analysis of Oğuz Aydın on TRT Spor; I don't know the name of that friend, but if it is going to be as he said, we have truly made a very big transfer. Let's not speak too soon, let his path be clear as well.”

GAVE A DEADLINE FOR EN-NESYRI

Speaking about one of the team's star players, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, and Youssef En-Nesyri, for whom transfer efforts are ongoing, Ali Koç said:

“We signed Levent Mercan a long time ago as a backup left-back. You will see, he came from the German youth system, he will also be successful. Many want Ferdi. We want Ferdi more; Ferdi has to stay. After finishing the striker transfer, we will clear our squad until the end of August and wait for opportunity transfers. Our job is that simple. We don't say ‘we will do this, we will do that.’ We talk when we do it. As for the striker, you are all curious; we wanted En-Nesyri very much, we still want him, but our patience is running thin. Greetings to him from here. I gave Mario Branco a 48-hour deadline. If it happens, it happens; if not, we will move on to B, C, D, G. Our squad is quite good. It was already good, now it is even better. If 1-2 more pinpoint moves are needed, it could be even better, but the priority is to finish the striker transfer and reduce the squad surplus, and then look ahead.”

PRAISE FOR JOSE MOURINHO

Speaking about the world-famous coach Jose Mourinho, Koç said, “You might ask how our coach Jose Mourinho is. He is very impressive, extraordinarily intelligent, but that's not all. His reporting system, his logic, the arguments he presents regarding what he wants to do, these are all extraordinarily impressive. I hope when the league starts, when the league progresses, and when the European cups begin, I will be saying the same things, but so far, ‘I am glad we brought him, his DNA fits our DNA very, very well.’ I am saying this for now.”