Trabzonspor's reaction to Beşiktaş regarding Şenol Güneş: He was ours, and he will remain ours forever

Trabzonspor Club Vice President Taner Saral has reacted sharply to comments made by Beşiktaş Vice President Mete Vardar regarding Head Coach Şenol Güneş ahead of the Trabzonspor-Beşiktaş match to be played at Papara Park next week.

Stating, "Şenol Güneş has always been ours and will remain ours forever," Saral said the following:

"First of all, I would like to emphasize that our Head Coach, Şenol Güneş, holds a special place in the history of Trabzonspor and is an important football figure who has contributed greatly to the club's successes. He has achieved championships with Trabzonspor both in his playing career and during his time as a head coach. With his leadership qualities, football intelligence, and disciplined approach, he is an exemplary character both on and off the pitch.

Ethics are important in football, and it is well known how executives should behave in this field. For executives to engage in populist rhetoric and resort to buffoonery leads to a loss of seriousness and also damages the club's image.

'A MANIFESTATION OF BUFFOONERY'

The statements made by Beşiktaş Club Vice President Mete Vardar on a social media platform are a manifestation of the 'buffoonery' we mentioned.

We can never accept such buffoonery over the name of Trabzonspor legend Şenol Güneş. We certainly understand the fear of Vardar, who cannot digest the fact that Mr. Güneş, who brought championships to Beşiktaş during his coaching tenure, is reuniting with his own home and team today. However, there was no need for this. 

'EXPRESSIONS HE WOULD NOT SAY TO OUR FACES...'

Football is a game played on the pitch. For someone in the position of Vice President to step off the pitch and fail to act in accordance with ethical and moral values outside of it actually describes 'himself'. Our advice to the person in question is not to express things like a 'social media troll' that he would not say to our faces from now on.

While some continue to act like social media trolls, we will continue to fight to represent the truth, reflect the positive values of sports, and ensure the football community attains a healthier and more respectable structure. Finally, Şenol Güneş has always been ours, and he will remain ours forever."

 Following the reaction from Trabzonspor, Vardar made statements. Vardar said the following:

'WHICHEVER SIDE WINS, IT WILL REMAIN A PLEASANT MEMORY'

"I feel the need to make a statement regarding a sentence I uttered during a television program I attended. As someone who has been involved in football for years, I believe that competition belongs on the pitch, while friendship belongs everywhere else. Mr. Şenol Güneş, whom I have known personally, is an important asset to both Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor clubs. Trabzonspor, with whom we have competed for years on the pitch and have been eternal friends, is also a major community important for Turkish football. What I said during the program was not intended to hurt Şenol Güneş, who is respected by both communities and has left his mark on both, but rather to express the surprise that the nature of competition offers us.

Football is a sport with global impact thanks to the coincidences and surprises it offers us. The surprise that Mr. Güneş will play his first match against Beşiktaş will take its place in our football history, and whoever wins, it will remain in memories as a pleasant memory. I tried to describe the coincidence inherent in the nature of the game with a humorous tone. Both Şenol Güneş and Trabzonspor are important values of Turkish football. Please do not give credence to malicious comments trying to distort the meaning of my words. Regards" 

WHAT DID METE VARDAR SAY?

Beşiktaş Vice President Mete Vardar had used the following words in a television program he attended: "Fate led to such a matchup. I am sure that Coach Şenol also has a lot of love and respect for Beşiktaş in his heart. But he is taking on a duty there during a period when the people of Trabzon, the city of Trabzon, and the Trabzonspor Club need him. We hope we go there and win. I was going to say we give Coach Şenol a double dose of happiness, but never mind. It's a situation like that."