Gaziantep FK responds to İrfan Can Eğribayat

Fenerbahçe goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat had spoken about the tension that occurred following the match against Gaziantep FK. 

Gaziantep FK, in turn, released a statement regarding the events that took place at the end of the Süper Lig match played yesterday against Fenerbahçe. 

The club's statement is as follows:

"Following the Süper Lig match played between our club, Gaziantep Football Club, and Fenerbahçe on 26.04.2025, we witnessed with sadness the remarks made by an individual named İrfancan Eğribayat targeting Gaziantep Football Club and its fans at the end of the match. The individual in question even attempted to bring up the aid he claims to have provided to our 'Gazi' city, which was affected by the 'Disaster of the Century' on February 6, thereby primarily offending our 'Gazi' city and the people of Gaziantep. We leave these words and behaviors of the individual to the judgment of the public. Furthermore, by targeting our team captain Badou Ndiaye with remarks clearly contrary to sportsmanship and sports ethics, such as 'I know his purpose very well, I know which team he belongs to, he should first learn to be a man, to be a human,' this individual has caused many threatening and insulting messages to be sent to our player via social media. This individual, who provokes opposing fans with the provocations he makes in every stadium he visits and tries to appear endearing to his own community, is in no position to teach our Club, our fans, or any of our players how to be a 'MAN' or a 'HUMAN.' We present to the public's information, with respect, that we leave the remarks of the individual named İrfancan Eğribayat, which are contrary to sportsmanship, sports ethics, and fair play principles, to the judgment of the football public, and that we have also initiated legal proceedings regarding the insulting and threatening messages sent to our player via social media."

WHAT DID İRFAN CAN EĞRİBAYAT SAY?

Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Eğribayat made striking statements. Stating that the stands were swearing at him, Eğribayat said, “I want to start with other things. We tried to help Antep a lot during the earthquake; we tried to experience their pain. They asked for water during the warm-up, I gave it. Because I celebrated the goal we scored, the entire stadium, the area behind the goal, started swearing directly at my mother and sister; it is not pleasant. I did not react once until they started swearing. I reacted within the rules of the football game after the goal. My team is leading 3-1, of course I will play for time. Look at what they did in the first half.”

The experienced goalkeeper continued his words as follows:

“Goalkeeper Burak, my dear brother, uses the goal kick in 1 minute in the first half, there is no reaction. When we do it, the reactions start. Direct swearing at my mother and sister starts. I just laughed. I said, 'My God, I hope we win this match.' But what was done is really not pleasant. I celebrated the goals, they provoked me even more. N'Diaye elbows me in the back after the match. There is a Beşiktaş match next week, I cannot do anything to him. I know very well which team he belongs to. He should first learn to be a human!"