Büyükekşi evaluates the Super Cup, referees, and the European Football Championship

Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Büyükekşi made statements regarding the Super Cup, EURO 2024, and EURO 2032.

"OUR GOAL IS NOT JUST EURO 2024"

Speaking about the national team's final group match against Wales, Büyükekşi said, "We want to get a good result in the Wales match and finish the group as leaders for the first time in our history," adding, "Since the day we took office, we have told the players that our goal is not just to participate in the European Championship in 2024. Our goal is to be successful in this championship to be held in Germany. Germany is the country with the highest number of Turkish citizens after Turkey. Our first priority in this tournament, where we will play as if we are at home, is to advance from the groups, and then to give the Turkish nation hope for chasing even greater goals."

WE OBTAINED THEIR CONSENT

Speaking to Sabah, Büyükekşi touched upon the Super Cup final between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, which has been on the agenda regarding where it will be played, stating, "In August, we asked both finalist parties and obtained their consent to play this match abroad. And we started negotiating with various countries. Saudi Arabia has entered into a major breakthrough both financially and in terms of total viewership rate, due to the players it has transferred, the investment made in football, and its strategies to host the finals of many countries in the world, especially Italy and Spain."

THE BEST OFFER IS FROM SAUDI ARABIA

Büyükekşi also said the following about the Super Cup final:

"In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey with enthusiasm in the global arena as well, we decided to hold the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, which made the most attractive offer and will host the Club World Cup in December, and the Italian and Spanish Super Cups in January 2024. We did this by consulting with both of our clubs. Although what we said was distorted in some social media channels and an extremely wrong perception was served, this is the first step of a visionary initiative. We are going there not just for revenue sources, but for the interests of Turkish football. Our goal is to bring Turkish football teams to the world stage and contribute to their brands and players in the global arena."

REFORM-LIKE PREPARATION

Continuing his statements, Büyükekşi also touched on the subject of referees, saying, "Criticizing our referees and accusing them or insulting them are two different things. Especially after every match, every sentence uttered by official sources from our teams that have large fan support must have a certain limit. Referees are an important and valuable stakeholder in this game. If you have evidence, that is another matter. They do not deserve to be worn down this much based on suspicion. It is not fair or right to blame the entire referee community for the mistakes of a few referees. Are there disruptions? Yes, there are. We also see the fatigue of some of our referees. We accept that we need to try new and creative ways. That is why we are in the midst of a reform-like preparation."

JOINT COORDINATION BOARD

Finally, mentioning the 2032 European Football Championship to be held together with Italy, Mehmet Büyükekşi stated, "We have established a commission for 2032 to hold meetings with the ministries. There are important decisions that need to be made by 2026. In order to provide the best service to our country, we are moving forward by working together with the Italian Football Federation at some levels. We are forming a joint coordination board with our 5 ministries regarding the decision we made in recent weeks for the 2032 European Championship."