Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç speaks: Harsh words for Galatasaray!

Fenerbahçe Club President Ali Koç, is holding a press conference at the Faruk Ilgaz Facilities regarding recent developments in the sports community.

Ali Koç's statements are as follows:

GALATASARAY IS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO TURKISH FOOTBALL 

 "The subject of this meeting will be our rival... Our rival has recently been engaging in nonsensical rhetoric. I aim to remind them and our country of a few things. I am sorry to be holding such a press conference. The level to which they have dragged sporting competition is reminiscent of a slaughterhouse. They are inciting their own community with lies. By provoking our community and inciting millions, they are committing a crime. There is no federation to intervene in this. I will explain how Galatasaray is an existential threat to Turkish football. And not just hypothetically."

THEY SEE EVERY MEANS AS JUSTIFIABLE TO WIN

"The agenda has been dynamic lately, with intense allegations and slanders. In fact, the subject of this meeting will be our rival. The level to which our rival's president and executives have stooped is now reminiscent of a slaughterhouse. I will explain how Galatasaray is an existential threat to Turkish football. I will show with statistics what kind of imaginary scenarios the Galatasaray president and his executives create to achieve what they want. I will share how the mentality that 'everything is justifiable to win' has become a culture for this club."

THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN PRIVATE AND IN PUBLIC

"They act differently in private than they do in public. They do not hesitate to do to others what they would not want done to themselves. They have no hesitation. They stir things up and benefit from it. In sporting competition and transfers, they create perceptions and recognize no rights, laws, or conscience. They do not shy away from violating the rights of others. They create imaginary enemies to keep referees and TFF boards under pressure. They belittle and mock their rivals. As you saw in the recent Beşiktaş-Galatasaray derby. I hope I can explain what a great threat and problem this club is for the survival of Turkish football."

VAR RECORDS 

"They stir up trouble to cover up referee errors that favor them in their own matches. They say, 'We have the VAR records. We won't let the league finish,' and then go silent when they don't get what they want. When things go their way, they adopt the exact opposite attitude."

THEY THINK THEY ARE SMART AND EVERYONE ELSE IS NAIVE 

"They claim they are fighting for the brand value of football and that without them, Turkish teams could not go to Europe. They say they are seeking justice for all clubs. They lie about launching a 'Justice for Football' program on their own channels. We sent them a lot of positions, but the program was never aired. Before they could even make the program, the club channels were shut down. It is a reflex to save the day, with insincere and unrealistic rhetoric... They only think they are smart and everyone else is naive."

THEY RAISED HELL

"First example; what does the TFF and its boards mean to Galatasaray? Does this situation change according to the course of the league? Is there collusion between them? They acted as a shield for the TFF. They said, 'Turkish football needs will and competent management.' A very short time later, they invited the TFF to resign. Two days ago, they called the TFF to account. Which one is real?"

"Second example; in one match, to seek our club's rights, we made a post during halftime of the Alanyaspor match on March 19 regarding our grievances. They raised hell. Then, ten days passed, and they did the exact same thing in their own match. Before making that post, didn't one smart person among you say, 'Fenerbahçe did the same thing, and we wrote very harsh things from our president's mouth. If we do it, it would be hypocrisy'?"

"Third example; this is a striking one... They have a tactic: to pressure people. To do this, they throw them into the public eye and attack their reputation. They say, 'He works for companies related to Fenerbahçe. He works for the Koç Group.' The main goal is to expose the person in question to the public. They called MHK (Central Referee Board) Deputy Chairman Murat Ilgaz a 'Fenerbahçe supporter.' For the first time, they attacked not the MHK Chairman, but the deputy chairman. They said a member of the Representative Board was a 'Koç Group employee.' He had retired 4 years ago. They tried to pressure the TFF through MHK Chairwoman Lale Orta. If there were a brave TFF President, he would have said, 'What are you saying? I am a Galatasaray congress member.' He paved the way for the lynching of that lady. Finally, they attacked a Beşiktaş executive because he was a Koç Holding employee. This is violating rights. The TFF President is a Galatasaray congress member. Mr. President is a partner with NEF. Even though one person in their own management worked at Koç Holding, their High Advisory Board Chairmen worked at Koç Holding. Without mentioning these, they speak shamelessly. They never look in the mirror. There is someone in the Galatasaray management who works at Koç Holding. They are so cunning that they are changing the girl's CV on their website. They are very clever."

IF YOU ARE HONEST, ASK FOR FOREIGN REFEREES 

If you are not satisfied with the TFF President, if the boards are disgraceful... If the referees are bad... Then you should also demand foreign referees like we do! If you are brave, if you are honest, if you trust yourselves... This is your greatest test of sincerity."

THEY DO NOT WANT FOREIGN REFEREES 

"They do not want foreign referees; they see how foreign referees officiate matches in Europe. They throw themselves on the ground in Europe, but they say 'Get up.' Of course, they don't want them."

 ''THE REAL COALITION''

"In this country, not a single club—let me speak for our own term—can say 'They poached our player.' They convince the player and the agent, then corner the club, even causing them financial loss. Oğulcan Çağlayan, Taylan Antalyalı... There is also Levent Mercan, but they couldn't get him. Before their matches, they leak transfer news about the players of the teams in question. Or they make offers to transfer players from the teams they are about to play. Pendikspor made an offer to Kayserispor for Mame Thiam. Eyüpspor made an offer to Sivasspor for Sainz. The close relationship between these three Istanbul clubs is known to everyone. In fact, two of them played in the same league. UEFA rules cannot even be a subject. There you have it, the real coalition. The real coalition."

THEIR SPONSORS ARE VERY GENEROUS 

"They supposedly pulled a transfer heist on us this summer! There are four players whose official contract figures are simply impossible! If there were a strong-willed TFF, they would call them in and get information. They have a culture of making both official and unofficial contracts. There is a difference between the amount they agree on with the player and the official contract. Sometimes they cover it with image rights, sometimes with sponsorships, and recently with real estate. Their sponsors are very generous. So generous, in fact, that they don't want their names revealed. What kind of business is this!"

THEY COULD NOT PAY DUE TO IMAGE RIGHTS 

"On Sunday, it emerged that they couldn't pay one of their players due to image rights. We will ask the TFF about these. However, there is no one better than them at finding loopholes. They have players play for 3 million euros who asked for 8-9 million euros from us. I guess there is more oxygen on that side of Istanbul."

WAS IT USED TO OPEN UP THE LIMIT?

"They sold Olimpiu Morutan for 3 million euros. Personally, I said, 'Bravo, I wish we had a magician like that.' We realized that wasn't the case. The player sold for 3 million euros only gets that money if he plays a certain number of matches. And the club doesn't start him in the first 11. I wonder, was that 3 million euros used to open up the spending limit? We will find out."

THEY GAVE FALSE INFORMATION ON TRANSFERS 

"They also gave false information regarding Cedric Bakambu's transfer to Real Betis. We learned that Real Betis would pay 5+5 million euros. Amazing! In the following days, we learned the truth through the statements of that club's president."

WE TOOK IT TO COURT 

"They leaked our offer for Nicolo Zaniolo. We were scouting the player, and they got hold of the offer we sent to his agents and leaked it. This is actually a crime! He shows it off, he's cunning... He claims Fenerbahçe offered more and that the player chose Galatasaray. We took this to court for unfair competition... The expert report has arrived; there are honest people in this country too. The report states that Galatasaray's offer was higher than Fenerbahçe's. They are very powerful in the judiciary as well. They had Selahattin Baki and Onur Göçmez summoned for testimony. They are powerful there. The goal is to create discomfort."

CONFLICT BETWEEN BRAIN AND HEART

"Another extension of their culture is the performance of players who grew up or played for them when they go to other teams and play against them. A club president once said, 'Three of our players had a conflict between their brains and their hearts.' If a president said these words after a Fenerbahçe match, the aforementioned club would declare a state of emergency in our country. Ümit Karan shared a memory from when he was playing for Eskişehirspor. He said he didn't want to score because he was a Galatasaray fan. I couldn't believe my eyes. Younes Belhanda led the opposing team's fans in a chant before the match last season."

THEY APPOINT THE REFEREES THEY WANT 

"The TFF always appoints the referees they want for their critical matches. Our matches are like basketball games; the moment we touch someone, it's a foul and a yellow card. Our players were beaten in the last match; we were practically being assaulted. They kick and punch. These are serious incidents. We can't bring them all to the agenda; we can't afford to pay the broadcaster. It has an impact on the pitch, an impact on the next match, and an impact on the referees' next match. They always achieve their success through these methods."

A NETFLIX SERIES COULD BE MADE 

"The reason they don't want foreign referees is obvious. To see what state Turkish football has reached, it would be enough to look at the Galatasaray - Antalyaspor match. What happened afterward is a perfect example of an unethical sports culture. We could give so many examples that you could make two seasons of a Netflix series." 

"Carlos Vinicius... I have never seen anything like it. Eye to eye, ear to ear... Almost lip to lip... No card, nothing. Our player, who barely speaks English, gets sent off for saying 'Stupid,' but here, there is nothing. Look at how beautifully they dive to the ground, too. The way Lucas Torreira steps on people is unbelievable. He shouldn't have been playing in the derby next week."

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GALATASARAY AND THE TFF 

"We have not been able to define the relationship between Galatasaray and the TFF. It is clear that they are protected by the TFF and that the TFF comes to their rescue whenever this club is in a difficult situation. After the attack on the referee, matches in the TFF 1st League were postponed, while in the Super Lig, only that..."

THE FETÖ ISSUE 

"Let's come to the FETÖ issue... Fenerbahçe is the first to stand up and bring them to their knees during their most powerful period. We started the fight against them. Our president said, 'What match-fixing, the country is slipping away.' You didn't believe it, you watered it down. Then you saw what happened. We suffered financial and moral damage. Afterwards, our team bus was shot at. Despite this, Fenerbahçe is the only team to be the first victim of this terrorist organization. There has been no reconciliation for this. We are in court with the TFF, and they are resorting to all kinds of cunning tricks."

"Ercan Güven has described the relationship with FETÖ perfectly. The title of the article is 'Your ears should hear what your mouth says first.' In the article, he says, 'At a time when the mask of the organization in question had not yet fallen, they turned the stars they made into their showcase in football into opinion leaders working for them, and even after July 15, they had difficulty removing these names from the club.' Let's make this concrete. Attacking Fenerbahçe at the expense of weakening the state's fight against FETÖ is FETÖ-sympathizing. Get this into your heads. I ask those who do not see the July 3 process as a conspiracy: what do you think about the December 17-25 operations, the July 15 treacherous coup attempt, and many other FETÖ conspiracies? According to your logic, these are also legitimate."

"Whatever power is behind them, whatever they rely on, they do these behaviors every week. Afterwards, they play the victim. I remind you, our offer to meet in the arena still stands. Because you say things behind our backs that you cannot say to our faces."

"Recently, interesting developments have been taking place in our country. On February 12, 2024, a video of the ringleader was released. Some circles portrayed this as a resurrection video. On the same day, it appeared in Sabah Newspaper that judges and prosecutors dismissed from FETÖ had returned to duty. The President and Devlet Bahçeli reacted. There is a strange atmosphere. Isn't it a coincidence that Galatasaray emerges during this process and brings up the phrase 'This fire will not go out by blowing on it'? I wonder if your courage to attack Fenerbahçe in this way is a sign of the recent climate?"

"You are the last institution that should cast aspersions on Fenerbahçe regarding FETÖ, Galatasaray supporters..."

REGARDING DURSUN ÖZBEK

"I will share my thoughts regarding the appointed president of our rival. What we mean is this: when asked why he came to the presidency for the third time, the President said, 'Our President requested it.' I learned that there were some touches from the outside. I will explain what kind of person he is in private versus in public recently. Since perception management is in their DNA, there is no limit to the path they will take. While defining the imaginary coalitions he claims exist, he compares them to the struggle against enemy forces in the Gallipoli Campaign. Get out of here! Did he take a courage pill, or is it because of his age... Go watch the movie 'The Color of Victory', Mr. President... You will understand better what is what."

"A few months ago, on the day of the Bayern Munich match or the day before... I had a visitor, his phone rang, and the caller was Dursun Özbek. He said he wanted to meet urgently, and they made an appointment at his hotel in Gayrettepe. According to what our mutual friend told me, Dursun Özbek said to him there, 'The atmosphere has become very tense. Because of this, low-level people are emerging.' He said, 'The only person I will build a friendship with at the Clubs Association is Ali Bey. The atmosphere is very tense, unwanted incidents may occur. I want to meet with Ali Bey in a setting no one knows about and draw a roadmap. The TFF President is pitting us against each other and watching with pleasure. He is a low-level man. In fact, the other day he gave me and Ali Bey the same meeting time, and by making us sit at the same table, he caused unnecessary arguments. While we were arguing, the TFF President was leaning back in his chair and watching with a smile.' This part of the event was true. 'At that moment, everything fell into place for me. I want to sit down and talk with Ali Bey at my house, your house, or wherever you want. We don't actually have a problem with each other. Let's fight against these people. Talk to Ali Bey, this will be good for all of us. Please convey this to Ali Bey,' he says. In the meeting, he states that conspiracies are being plotted against him within his own community, that work is being done behind his back for the elections, and that he is not aware of the posts being made."

THEY HAVE SUNK LOW ENOUGH TO ATTACK MY FAMILY

 "I wanted you to see who the man is who could sink low enough to attack my family. These words are not his own anyway. They are words we are accustomed to from a certain place. They are drawing strength from somewhere. These people protect enmity toward the state, treason, and enmity toward the government for their own interests."

"I am making these statements even though I do not want to. There is a style that plays with the dynamics of the race and knows no bounds. As we try to take the high road, we are fighting against a baseness that extends to involving deceased family members. External factors have taken precedence over sports. It is a pity. It should not be like this. It has become mandatory to explain their DNA. Others need to do this as well. As long as we do not respond to them, they will continue their desire to establish hegemony over all institutions."

WHAT WE ARE PLAYING IS NOT FOOTBALL

"These words of mine are to my community: what we are playing is not football. It is not even the sport we are doing. We are trying to fight and struggle honestly against a heartless structure. We have collected historic points. I am explaining the evil we are facing. The strength you will give to our team is very important. Every Fenerbahçe fan has a responsibility. We must stand tall against this mentality."

"Just as we fought on July 3rd, we must fight this community in a similar way."

"Fenerbahçe has never been, and will never be, among those who pit the children of this country against each other to win illicit trophies. Despite everything, it remains a community loyal to its state and nation, persistently striving to provide sports opportunities for the children of this country and raising champions. This will continue to be the case. That is why, in an environment where the immoral are not ashamed to lecture on morality and the disloyal on loyalty, Fenerbahçe is once again the target. These are a mentality accustomed to being made champions, being favored, and being pushed forward. Our fabric is very different. Our football team is fighting; we do not know what the outcome will be. Hopefully, it will end in a championship. The paths to the championship have always been difficult for us. We have infinite trust in our coaches and players. I wish we could also trust the system so I could say the end of the road will be a championship."

WE WILL REQUEST THE DATE OF THE SUPER CUP BE CHANGED

Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç, UEFA Europa Conference Leaguein the event that they reach the quarter-finals Galatasaray stated that they would request a change in the date of the Super Cup match they are set to play.

Ali Koç's statements are as follows:

"The schedule has become very congested. When we set April 7, we did not take other dates into consideration. It is very, very important for us to pass this round to guarantee 9th place in the country coefficient, in terms of national interest. If our opponent also agrees, it would be much more appropriate to find a new date for the Super Cup final."