Galatasaray To Elect New Chairman In Extraordinary Club Congress

Galatasaray will elect a new leader to replace outgoing Chairman Ünal Aysal on Saturday, hoping not to upset the club's already shaky state in the process.

Two candidates are running in the election. Alp Yalman, who was Galatasaray chairman from 1990 to 1996, was the only candidate until early October, when Duygun Yarsuvat joined the race. Aysal, who has been in power since 2011, said he would not run again.

“Today the club is facing financial and managerial problems,” Yarsuvat said, noting that he decided to join the race late simply because he believes Galatasaray deserves better than a one-man election. “In the short term, we will reduce expenditure. We will increase income with success in sports. A sports club's fundamental source of money is success,” he added, noting that earning a fourth star with a 20th Spor Toto Super League championship was a major goal for the year.

Aysal criticized two previous chairmen, Faruk Süren and Adnan Polat, who he felt should have run. “If they had come forward as candidates I would have thanked them. Because [they did not], I thank Alp Yalman and Duygun Yarsuvat for standing as candidates for the position,” he said.

But regardless of who the candidates are and who wins, there will be some questions about the stability of the club. The first was highlighted by coach Cesare Prandelli. “[Aysal] had wanted to overhaul this club,” the Italian coach said. “I am here because of him. He had a plan for the future,” he added in comments that were taken as a hint that Prandelli might leave so soon after joining the club this summer.

Yarsuvat stated that he would choose to keep the former Italy coach should he be elected. He also chose four of Aysal's cabinet members for his own in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Yalman has made a decision about Prandelli, but did not announce what it was.

Galatasaray is in a tricky situation. On the one hand, the club is second in the Super League standings, just one point behind leader Beşiktaş, so the Lions are performing well at home. However, after being pummeled 0-4 at home by Borussia Dortmund, following a 4-1 loss to Arsenal and a 1-1 draw squeezed out of Anderlecht in the last minute, the club is looking doubtful in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League.

Last year, Galatasaray was league runner-up and advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions League with another coach, Roberto Mancini. Prandelli is doing worse thus far.

Mancini had only signed on with Galatasaray in September the year before, after Aysal chased off Fatih Terim, so a choppy coaching situation has been in place at Galatasaray for the past few years. That may make the chairman transition harder, although if Aysal is the one causing the coaching shake ups, perhaps a new leader will bring more stability.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)