Clubs want it in Turkey: TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi persists with Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup!

Discussions continue regarding the possibility of the Super Cup final, which will be played between the Super Lig champion Galatasaray and the Turkish Cup winner Fenerbahçe, being held in Saudi Arabia.

Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Büyükekşi had stated that the clubs were also warm to the idea of playing in Saudi Arabia, remarking, "Playing the match in Saudi Arabia is also very valuable in terms of image."

However, contrary to Büyükekşi, the Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray camps have issued statements in favor of the Super Cup final being played in Turkey during the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

Speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-Turkey Economic Forum held in Istanbul, TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi gave signals that the Super Cup format could change.

"WE ARE CONTINUING OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH SAUDI ARABIA"

Speaking at the panel, TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi stated that they want to promote Turkey by holding Super Cup celebrations all over the world as the TFF for the 100th anniversary of the Republic, adding, "Football is extremely influential in almost all countries of the world, so football is of great importance for the promotion of countries as well. We are continuing our negotiations with Saudi Arabia to organize the Super Cup matches as a four-team tournament format for 5 years. The Italians and Spaniards are also doing this model with their King's Cup matches."

"THE WORLD'S EYES ARE ON SAUDI ARABIA"

Stating that Saudi Arabia has made huge investments in football, Büyükekşi said, "They are also taking an important position with the world-famous transfers they have made. We have met with Germany, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was important for us because the world's eyes are on Saudi Arabia. They have applied for the 2034 World Cup. We stand by our brother country in these efforts. We aim to show the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Turkey to the whole world by ensuring that the Super Cup is shown on many television channels around the world. Our goal is for the Super Lig to reach 6th place in the world rankings. Our league is very competitive and hosts important matches. We want to showcase this abroad as well. We aim for our teams to become world brands and have fans from all over the world."

"WE WON EURO 2032 AND THE WHOLE WORLD HAS SEEN THAT ALL OUR CONDITIONS ARE SUFFICIENT"

Reminding that Turkey will co-host the 2032 European Football Championship (EURO 2032) with Italy, President Büyükekşi noted the following:

"We won EURO 2032 and the whole world has seen that all our conditions are sufficient. In 2032, we will organize the European Championship in Turkey jointly with Italy. Football players from all over the world are coming to many of our cities like Antalya, Bolu, and Afyon for training camps. Our infrastructure and hotels are ready, and we will continue our work within these 9 years."

Stating that they also attach importance to the corporatization of clubs, Büyükekşi assessed, "Especially in France, the USA, and England, foreign investors have invested in many clubs. A first has started in Turkey with Göztepe. We care about this issue."