Ersun Yanal's much-discussed remarks on Aziz Yıldırım

Following Fenerbahçe's 2-1 loss to Gençlerbirliği in the first league match of the season, former manager Ersun Yanal made striking assessments. In his comments on YouTube, Yanal criticized the yellow-navy team's squad choices, the decision to rotate, and the atmosphere of pressure within the club.

Stating that he does not find the rotation implemented by İsmail Kartal to be correct, Yanal said that Fenerbahçe making extensive changes before establishing an ideal starting 11 has negatively affected the team. Yanal remarked, "You are just about to settle the team, and you rotate! I don't understand this. Watch the European matches. They don't rotate with 6 players. Rotation should happen in the coming weeks."

Arguing that there are uncertainties in Fenerbahçe's squad structure, Yanal also expressed that the high number of players who should have left has made the technical staff's job difficult. The former manager emphasized that the yellow-navy team needs to recover quickly, stating that the league is just as critical as the Lyon match.

"MOBBING HAS BEGUN AT SAMANDIRA"

One of Yanal's harshest criticisms was regarding the atmosphere at Samandıra. Stating that managerial pressure around the club could strain the technical staff, Yanal said, "Mobbing has now begun at Samandıra. Aziz Bey walking around, or even a board member asking a question, is mobbing."

"Aziz Yıldırım WALKS ALL OVER SAMANDIRA"

In his assessment regarding Aziz Yıldırım's potential influence on the team, Yanal defended the need to protect the manager's decision-making space with the words, "Aziz Yıldırım walks all over Samandıra. I wish they would leave everything to Coach İsmail, and then hold him accountable later."

SHARP REACTION TO İsmail Kartal

Reacting to İsmail Kartal's post-match comments that did not attribute the defeat to rotation, Yanal said that players should not be targeted over individual mistakes. Giving the example of Guendouzi, Yanal said, "What is the need to throw a player to the wolves? What are we going to do if he scores an own goal, are we going to execute him? It's a match!"

Yanal stated that the defeat is not a result that will determine the championship race on its own, but that its psychological impact must be managed correctly. Noting that points dropped by Galatasaray and Trabzonspor could be an opportunity for Fenerbahçe, Yanal said the yellow-navy squad is still in a strong position in the race.

Touching on the team's center-forward problem, Yanal criticized the fact that some players were not ready. Emphasizing that Fenerbahçe needs to catch a good streak in the period ahead, Yanal noted that maintaining fan support would also be decisive.