Harsh words from Dursun Özbek to the TFF and Fenerbahçe: 'Whoever sets their eyes on our points...'

Appearing as a guest on a television channel, Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek made striking statements regarding the current agenda. Reacting to the TFF and Fenerbahçe, Özbek said, "I will take the eyes of those who set their sights on Galatasaray's rights, success, and points! I will break the hands of those who touch them! Everyone must respect the effort put in!"

Speaking about the agenda on A Spor, Dursun Özbek stated the following:

TFF ELECTIONS

We supported Mr. İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu in the TFF elections. There was dissatisfaction with the previous administration. By talking about a 'structure' (yapı), Mr. Mehmet Büyükekşi had been worn out. We were not satisfied, but they were not satisfied either! The structure is like this, the structure is like that! Then we listened to Hacıosmanoğlu and his promises. We supported him as well. However, we are not satisfied with the attitudes towards Galatasaray. We see that he cannot fulfill his promises.

We wrote a letter to the TFF regarding the news portal advertisement we received for the Galatasaray jersey. We have to ask them; the procedure is like that. We asked in writing, and they said, 'We give permission, you can play the match, but the responsibility is yours.' After we went out, there was an echo in Turkey from the first day. There were criticisms and objections regarding the subject. Then the TFF wrote us a second letter and said, 'You cannot play the match like this.' The President said, 'We showed our stance in the first letter.' If he understood that they said you cannot play from the first letter, why did he write the second letter? Did his opinion change due to the pressure of rivals and public opinion? He was influenced by our rivals who criticized us.

The subject went to the judiciary upon the complaint of our rivals. We also went and gave our statements. The judiciary decided not to prosecute regarding the subject. So what happened next? The President said in a program, 'For some reason, the judiciary decided not to prosecute.' What does 'for some reason' mean? What do you understand from this word? Does it suit the President to cast suspicion on the judiciary and the club with these words? This is the same mouth as our rival! We do not accept this! Their speaking with the mouth of our rival creates a question mark for us.

Okan Hoca (Okan Buruk) told a referee, 'You can never referee a match here again,' and was referred to the disciplinary board. As a result, they gave a fine, and the Arbitration Board lifted it. It turned out he was innocent. Subsequently, the TFF President says, 'You said this to the referee, look, you will see. I wonder if I will send that referee to your match again or not!' Can a TFF President have such a vengeful, revisionist approach? Okan Hoca is not even your interlocutor! Yes, you assigned him, you assigned him to the Eyüpspor match! You also adjusted the VAR referee accordingly!

We played a European match on Thursday, we came from a long away game. We wrote to the TFF, we requested this just as our rivals who played on Thursday played on Monday. We especially took player health into account. They said, "The governor's office does not want two important matches to be played in Istanbul on Monday. Monday is not possible." Then we said, "Ask Eyüpspor and move it to Tuesday." They said the broadcaster did not want it there either. The broadcaster, however, said there was no such application. What is the need for all this?

"WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE TFF"

The referee assigned to the Eyüpspor match, out of spite for Okan Hoca... He chooses such a match and VAR referee! He slaughtered Trabzonspor in Trabzonspor! He came to our Kasımpaşa match, he is not good there either! There is a certain problem. I explained it on Sunday, I did not blame the match referee. Someone formatted him and sent him, and he did his duty.

There are various ways to butcher a team! You can butcher it thinly, or you can butcher it from the head! In the end, we are not satisfied with the TFF.

The TFF, together with the MHK (Central Referee Board), has taken a stance to affect Galatasaray's success and performance on the field. As the President of Galatasaray, I will not allow anyone to touch our effort! I have great respect for effort, no one can usurp this effort! I will not allow it! I have such a character!

I was born in the 1950s, I was born in Şebinkarahisar, a poor district. Then I studied in Istanbul, I lost my father at an early age. I became the head of the family at 13, I started trading at 22. I have seen all the difficulties of life. A large part of my business life was spent on the back of buses, on the roads of Anatolia. I am someone who knows what effort is, what it is to build a life. I have not set my sights on anyone's rights or pennies. I will not allow anyone to usurp my rights. I will take the eyes of those who set their sights on Galatasaray's rights, success, and points! I will break the hands of those who touch them! Everyone must respect the effort put in!

We do not want privileges from anyone. We do not want them to grant a privilege to Galatasaray. As they promised in the election, they must bring justice to Turkish football. The President must bring justice to Turkish football without deviating from this. There is no need for a person who does not do what he promised to sit there anymore! We have no demand other than the search for justice. If they cannot fulfill their promises, there is no need for this TFF either!

The 'structure' (yapı) rhetoric existed during the Büyükekşi period as well. Mr. Büyükekşi left, and again a similar structure story. May God give them wisdom.

When you go to Google, you can look at what many topics mean, that's what I do. Say 'structure in Turkish football', look at what comes up. It says, 'Look at the Fenerbahçe-Gaziantep match, look at the Galatasaray-Eyüpspor match.' They say there is a structure, but where is this structure, who made it? Nobody knows.

Football in Turkey is a game played against Galatasaray! We have been using this since the past!

ANSWER TO ACUN ILICALI

What kind of structure is this? Who is this structure working for in the matches we played on the weekend? There is no one who says how the structure is, who it is, where it is! After the Fenerbahçe match, their vice-president says, 'There is a structure, like this, like that.' Then 5-6 minutes of Galatasaray talk and no questions taken.

Their president was going through the TFF President last year, then he was praising him. Now he is doing the same thing for İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu. So this has become a procedure. It is a repeat of the same movie, the speakers have changed. They keep putting the same movie in front of the public. Friend, if there is a structure, explain it! Many people now confuse the word 'structure' (yapı) with 'mansion' (yalı)! If there is a structure, you reveal it clearly. Be brave, my brother, explain this structure.

If only we could get rid of such meaningless, empty discussions and get down to the green fields! I have never seen our rival come to the fields! It is always settling scores at the table, wearing down the other side with rhetoric! They are always inside something like this! The place where we will share our trump card is the green fields.

The rival team president said, 'We will do whatever is in our nature.' The upbringing I received, the schools I attended, ethical values... My nature does not change according to the position! The rival team president said, 'Go punch the referees' or something. Did he say these things? A person who says these things, if he says there is a structure... They don't say 'meetings are held in mansions' for nothing. I haven't witnessed it, but these are talked about in the market. No one says otherwise.

During my visit to the TFF President, I said, 'Every day one of the rival team managers is here, what is he doing here, my brother? Are they working here?' I asked during the Büyükekşi period too! 'Well, they are coming. You come too' etc... Well, what business do we have? If we have business, we go. If they are looking for the structure, let them look by looking here. A structure is not formed by such phone calls! We have heard very dire rumors. In order not to change the nature of the event, since we have the will for football to remain on the green field, I want to keep it to ourselves.

Trabzonspor said the other day, 'The TFF is null and void.' We are of the same opinion. Whoever sets their sights on our effort, even if it is my father's son! I will take the eyes of the one who sets their sights on this effort! If you reach out, I will break that hand! Such meetings are necessary for the formation of the format called structure! Let no one look for a calf under an ox; when they say structure, let them look in the mirror.

Someone gave Oğuzhan Çakır a task and he did it! He did it before in Trabzon and in our Kasımpaşa match. He is a criminal referee. He is a man of duty, he came, did his duty, and left. The MHK gave the task, he did his job without hesitation. Who gave the task to the MHK, I guess the President! When you write these one under the other, how can we be satisfied with the TFF? I find it extremely unsuccessful. From now on, we are not on the same side! So now send Oğuzhan Çakır! Look at how things go then!

Galatasaray Sports Club does not regret the work it does. I don't go for such laziness. As of that day, there was dissatisfaction with the Büyükekşi period. Within the framework of what Mr. Hacıosmanoğlu explained, we trusted him and voted. It is like this everywhere, those who come with elections explain something and you vote. If he does the opposite when he starts implementation, you criticize. Galatasaray no longer has confidence in the TFF.

The call for elections is not at Galatasaray's initiative. We are explaining our discomforts. We also told Mr. Hacıosmanoğlu. We did not get a satisfactory answer from him. We have not met since the Eyüpspor match. I haven't met with him for a long time. We explained these, but we don't see any progress.

Galatasaray is a team of struggle. That's why I said, 'Send the same referee and the same VAR to all matches.' VAR is also a criminal for Galatasaray. We measured you, we weighed you. Our struggle will be according to this from now on. We will fight against an attitude that lacks good intentions and has gone beyond good intentions. It doesn't matter to us, if we know the treatment we will encounter on the field; Galatasaray overcomes these. Let us know against which rules we will play the game, that is enough for us. No one can prevent our success. Let us know that this is the structure in front of us. The yellow card, the red... Speaking with the mouth of our rival, acting together! As long as we are sure of this! The form of our struggle changes and we prepare accordingly. Is the game played on the green field, in the mansion, or in the TFF's rooms? As long as we know that.

Acun Ilıcalı is not my interlocutor! It is not possible for him to be anyway! He is the owner of a channel that has been fined by RTÜK while we were clamoring about the betting issue. If you look at the lines of what he said, it turns out that Turkey's biggest club is Galatasaray. People say 'Galatasaray wants to be alone' for no reason. Where does this come from? Did we say such a thing? The football public in Turkey unites on the fact that Turkey's biggest football club is Galatasaray. We didn't say this, but the perception on the other side and the point where it unites is that Galatasaray is Turkey's biggest football club. There is the inferiority of this between the lines.

Look at Galatasaray's European adventure, the European adventures of other rivals! These are registered things. We didn't say 'History writes the facts, and Galatasaray writes history' for nothing. Acun Ilıcalı has been influenced by the effect on public opinion. In the inferiority of this, he says, 'Do you think you are the only club?'

It is clear what Mauro Icardi means for Galatasaray. He is a figure who has become an icon in Turkey and Galatasaray. Words like freezing his contract are words said by those who want to wear down Galatasaray. Those who bring this to the agenda are those types of people. His surgery was in Argentina. He called himself after the surgery and didn't open his phone. A message came saying he is resting, I will call again. He is a name loved by the whole Galatasaray community and the football public. You rarely come across such players who have come to Turkey and are loved by everyone. Icardi is one of them. He contributed to the championships and the love of children. Everyone, big and small, loves him because of his attitude and performance on the field. Galatasaray is so ungrateful that it will freeze his contract! There is no such thing!

Victor Osimhen came like a 100-year-old Galatasaray and is showing harmony. If you saw his attitudes in Florya! I think we have a share in this too, and I am very satisfied. Those who cannot adapt to this atmosphere cannot stay in Galatasaray anyway.

He is our football player this season. There is a very difficult clause for him to leave in the mid-season. According to our agreement, he will play with us until the end of the season. Let no one bend or twist it. He will make his own decision at the end of the season. If he wants to continue at Galatasaray, he continues. Do not fall for the perceptions that he will leave. He is very satisfied with being in Turkey and at Galatasaray. I haven't talked about figures with anyone for Victor Osimhen's transfer fee. I am not in a position to answer about the figure.

I would be happy if you ask questions about my team's players and their conversations. I will not talk about Jose Mourinho's statements.

I took the jersey numbers because they might be asked. We sold 700 thousand jerseys last year. I don't know if it's a Turkish record, I didn't make such an evaluation. The target this year is 1 million, we sold 570 thousand jerseys this year. Excluding the jerseys we produced ourselves here! We are breaking records so far. We sell 1500 jerseys a day. If we reach the 1 million target, it becomes a good profit in terms of merchandising. According to the agreement Galatasaray made, the income from the jersey is also high. Whatever Bayern Munich sells the jersey for in euros, we sell it for that money in TL. As of January, we will be in Europe in terms of merchandising. Afterwards, we will be in the Far East.

We sell 10 thousand tickets on match day. We do this even though we have raised the prices 4-5 times. The match average is 43 thousand people. We earn 60 million TL from one match. We are heading towards 80 million euros in income in terms of sponsorship this year. The reason for this is Galatasaray's success. A sponsor is not just an institution that gives money! Our communication and activities with them are very important and good examples. It attracts people.

Many institutions want to shoot commercials with Mauro Icardi. Victor Osimhen's arrival is important. The arrival of good football players increases the viewing pleasure. Even friends who support the rival team say, 'We want to watch Galatasaray's matches, it gives pleasure.' Fans come in snow and rain. People cannot find tickets for European matches. This is not for nothing!

Is there an alternative to Mauro Icardi? Tell me the address, let's go and look! He is not a football player who has an alternative! We are talking to Okan Hoca. We will make mid-season transfers according to our deficiencies. We will complete these deficiencies. If we say the names, things get difficult. You reminded me well that there are no two full-backs! We are also fans, we see it too! Let no one worry! We will complete the deficiencies.

It is impossible for us to have a tax debt to the state! Every three months, all clubs must get a debt-free certificate from the state, managers, players, and clubs regarding debt-free status. If you owe a man, if the man says 'I accept it to be paid next month', there is no problem in the eyes of UEFA. The state is the same. We want to make our payments to the state on time. All the club's income is collected in the accounts of the consortium banks. First, tax is paid. Money is deducted from your account for tax and it is blocked. We need restructuring from time to time. We go to the state father and say, 'Sir, we are stuck. Let's restructure according to legal legislation.' If the state does not accept, you have to pay. You have to get this letter from government offices and send it to UEFA. Otherwise, you cannot play the match. We have paid 3.5 billion TL in taxes to the state in two years. Not only Galatasaray, other clubs also pay.

It is a must for us to leave the Banks Association. We have developed two plans for this issue. According to plan A, the resource that will be created in Florya. The plan is proceeding towards the payment of the 2.6 billion TL debt. We have prepared the documents, we will go to tender. We can close it with the money that will come from there. We also developed plan B. I cannot explain that today, I will explain it in the coming days. We pay close to 1.5 billion TL in interest in one year. All clubs in Turkish football should get rid of this interest payment. If this interest payment did not exist, we would not need anything.

I am biting my tongue for Kemerburgaz, I am afraid to say it's finished. I am an impatient person. I said we would move at the beginning of the season, but there were incompatibilities between us and some contractors. Our time was delayed by 2-3 months. A part is in the cleaning stage, a part is in the painting stage. We have to move there in the mid-season. There will be a Florya tender, we will have to deliver that place.

It is not a windfall, Galatasaray is reaching the values it deserves. The Chinese Ambassador asked for an appointment from me. He came with the Istanbul Consul and brought his undersecretary with him. It was about how Galatasaray and the citizens in China can give energy to each other. They accept that Galatasaray is a big brand. They say themselves that the cooperation they will make with Galatasaray will benefit them. They invited me to China. We will eat again this week. We explained with figures and examples how well-known Galatasaray is. They had already made these calculations, they came prepared. It remains for us to make the halva. One of them is an automotive company.

There is no need to go into too much detail. The South Korean Ambassador came last week, I told him I would go there too. They made these visits without us requesting, this is a pride for Galatasaray.

There are offers for many of my players. We are not in a position to give up on any of our players. These children are our children, they also have thoughts for their careers. Kerem Aktürkoğlu was one of our most important players, he was someone I loved very much. He wanted to go. We agreed with the approach that Galatasaray should also be satisfied. We will also get a share from the next sale.

You are saying something about us keeping amateur sports in the background. It plays with a 4.5 million dollar budget in basketball. Institution teams are at the level of 25-30 million dollars. The price of the championship in basketball is clear. No need for much luck. We are having a very successful season with the budget we created in this period. We are either in fourth or fifth place. I think we are successful in volleyball in both women and men. We are playing for the championship in the league and in Europe in women's basketball. We are European champions in water polo. We have nearly two thousand athletes. Their campuses, coaches, sleeping, waking... We go to Europe in every branch and there are away expenses. A large budget is required. We can manage this budget at this level. Money will come after the Florya tender. We will shift the principal of this to amateur sports. It will be a budget 3-4 times the current budget. It will not be one-time, it will be a sustainable system. This budget will come every year.

Fernando Muslera will make his own decision due to his age. Muslera made four contracts here, I made three of them. 'Are we going to make the fourth contract last?' he said, we joked. A new contract depends on how much he trusts his own performance. You would want to have such a successful captain. His family is in Uruguay, he bought a team there, and he sleeps and wakes up with that dream.

Galatasaray is very strong in digital media. We are coming after Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Whichever newspaper or magazine you open in Turkey, Galatasaray is there. If you ask how many people among sports commentators make comments in favor of Galatasaray, we don't have such a study there. I cannot say that I am very satisfied with those who make sports comments. There is a structure there too. Our qibla does not change! We are a community that believes that at the end of the day, good people, those who are good, win. We have no deviation from this. We don't have our eyes on anyone's points.

Our rival wanted a foreign VAR referee very much last year, the result is clear! We are playing matches with foreign teams, not a single thing comes out of our mouths about the referee one day. While talking about a foreign referee, we should not offend Turkish referees either. If you cannot bring a foreign VAR to all matches, how will it be? I don't know. We don't have a deep-rooted opinion. It is enough for Galatasaray to know the conditions under which it struggles. Let no one try to struggle with Galatasaray by hiding behind insidious plans! No one can bend Galatasaray's wrist.