Oktay Haluk Doğan writes: Seeing ourselves in a funhouse mirror

SEEING OURSELVES IN A FUNHOUSE MIRROR

Due to the referee errors, referee bias, and the commentary of big-club-aligned media that have dominated the agenda in the Süper Lig, which has been defined by the fierce rivalry between two teams this season, the two clubs that stood as one flag and one heart in Saudi Arabia have once again turned on each other.

They are competing with one another to produce conspiracy theories about the future, using sentences cherry-picked from club statements and engaging in mutual hostility.

In this system where millions of dollars are poured into players and agents for the sake of success, our teams, which pile debt upon debt to heed the calls of their fans, express concerns about ranking high and qualifying for European cups, while quickly forgetting the reality that they are still at a loss when comparing what is spent to what is earned.

In our league, which holds no reputation in terms of viewership or following outside its own borders, both the TFF and our clubs are falling into the same fundamental trap as politicians.

They see themselves and our football in a funhouse mirror. If they give that up, they will have started looking at things from the right perspective.

But here is what is happening right now: We are deceiving ourselves with the illusion of inconsistent success while spending recklessly large sums of money, as seen in European football.

Beyond Galatasaray’s UEFA Cup and the National Team’s third-place finish in the World Cup, we cannot see any other significant success.

Let’s say those don’t exist; is there any effort to redesign Turkish football in accordance with modern conditions, such as developing infrastructure, facilities, coaches, or club managers? That doesn’t exist either.

The millions that go, the debt swamp left behind, the penalties received from UEFA, and the trial-and-error TFF practices, along with constant fighting, bickering, bias, finger-pointing, and on-field and off-field incidents, make football unwatchable and unbearable.

Turkish football, which should have an autonomous structure, presents an image where everything from federation elections to management lists and practices is conducted by orders and instructions, and where the loudest and most powerful benefit the most.

Beyond this poor image and appearance in football, we see what has been achieved with very little budget in women’s volleyball, basketball, and Olympic sports.

Recently, we can add archery, wrestling, and boxing to our volleyball success.

The time has long passed to teach the reasons behind the historic victories in these fields and their roadmap to success to other unsuccessful branches, especially football.

But there is a danger in team sports; it is essential to get rid of the high number of naturalized players in the share of success and to return to our roots by training qualified players.

This is the prescription for the salvation of Turkish football and sports.

News Source: 12punto