Selçuk İnan: I bear no ill will toward Galatasaray fans for not welcoming me

In the 29th week of the Trendyol Süper League, Kocaelispor drew 1-1 in their away match against Galatasaray. Kocaelispor Manager Selçuk İnan made statements at the post-match press conference.

Starting his remarks by congratulating both teams, İnan said, "There was a great battle on the pitch. Both teams tried to play football. The match ended in a draw. I congratulate my players for the 1 point we earned. They fought very well. It is not easy to play against Galatasaray at a time like this. They fought hard and were rewarded for their efforts."

Stating that he feels different emotions every time he comes to Galatasaray's stadium, Selçuk İnan said, "This place is important and valuable to me. I experienced very important moments of my life here. I have been upright and humble, yet there are facts. I am perhaps the player who has played the most matches on this pitch, the player who has won the most trophies, perhaps the midfielder who has been captain the most and scored the most goals, and the one with the most assists. I won 15 trophies. These are not easy achievements. While achieving these, I was always this same Selçuk İnan. Many of you criticized me when I remained silent, which you didn't like. I was the same Selçuk İnan you see before you now. I will continue to be the same. I am straightforward; no matter what, I do not tolerate injustice. I do not take what belongs to anyone, and I never have. I have never been disrespectful to anyone. No matter how much you try to find fault, you might hurt me a little, but I continue on the path I know to be right. I didn't want to get into these things much. Being moral is one thing, being straightforward is another. Whatever the Galatasaray fans do, it is fine by me. I cannot judge them. I have always loved and respected them. I will continue to love and respect them for the rest of my life. Because this is who I am. Do not try to twist this into something negative. I stayed at Galatasaray for many years. I gave my whole life to this place. Now I am at Kocaelispor. I work for them, I put in the effort. I have never followed anything bad, and I never will. I saw mistakes and I reacted, but you didn't see it, and you won't see it either. I bear no ill will toward Galatasaray fans for not welcoming me. Let them do whatever they feel is right. Throughout my life, I have always acted according to my conscience. From now on, this Selçuk İnan will continue to act in this way."

Expressing that life is not possible without goals, the green-and-black manager said, "This team was built under very difficult conditions. It arrived here after 16 years. The salary budget of the starting 11 that took the field here is equivalent to just one player on big teams. Our job is not easy. It is much harder now. Our job is to achieve this difficulty. At least to show that fight. Kocaelispor has the strength to achieve this. No matter what, our fans should not leave their team alone. They should support the players. They are a source of strength for us. I ask of them: continue to support us as you have done until today. That is enough for us."

Regarding Bruno Petkovic, who came on as a substitute and scored, İnan said, "Petkovic is an important player for us. He is one of the players who knows how to play these matches. He is not fully ready. He has only had 3 training sessions with us. He came on and showed his quality."

News Source: 12punto