29.05.2025 09:46
Galatasaray Secretary General Eray Yazgan referenced Fenerbahçe's EuroLeague celebrations and stated, "If I were to return from pilgrimage, my family and friends would welcome me with a larger crowd."
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Galatasaray, completing the 2024-25 season as champions in the Süper Lig, celebrated winning its 5th star on Sunday, May 25, at the Yenikapı Meeting Area.
Galatasaray's Secretary General Eray Yazgan held a press conference with journalists before the open training session. Stating that the event held in Yenikapı was organized in a very short time, Eray Yazgan said, "There are some things that sadden me. The easiest thing in the world would have been to organize an event at our stadium after the Başakşehir match. We wanted to do something different. I think it was a very important act of courage. We needed to strengthen the sense of belonging for everyone who loves Galatasaray. We were concerned about reaching those who could not come to the stadium, who were struggling economically, who could not afford a season ticket, who could not buy the original jersey, and who carry love for Galatasaray within them. We are pleased that hundreds of thousands of people came there and that the night ended without a single person getting hurt," he said.
"WE STRIVED TO ORGANIZE THE BEST POSSIBLE EVENT"
Yazgan mentioned that there were some issues during the organization, stating, "It is important to note that large organizations can also have problems at their openings. He pointed out that there were some issues during the event in Yenikapı as well. Yazgan expressed that they did not use the shortcomings as an excuse, saying, "We became champions on the evening of May 18. We organized an event in Kemerburgaz on May 19. We wrote our first letter to the Istanbul Governorship for the celebration in Yenikapı on May 20. The company that would organize it was determined on May 21. We slept in the area for three nights. It rained on the opening day of the Paris Olympic Games, which had been planned for years, and many mishaps occurred. I am not saying this as an excuse. We put our fans in a very difficult situation; they were left in the rain, but we presented something with good intentions. We strived to organize the best possible event in four days. Of course, we had shortcomings. However, we did something that had never been tried before. The meteorology department had informed us that rain was expected after midnight. We had to cancel the shows we were going to do with about 1,500 drones. The drone show would have been the most spectacular part of that night. We were going to launch 250 drones from four different points in Istanbul," he said.
"IF I RETURNED FROM HAJJ, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WOULD GREET ME WITH A LARGER CROWD"
Yazgan also spoke about the reception of Fenerbahçe, the Euroleague champion, at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, saying:
"Hundreds of thousands of fans who came to Yenikapı upon our invitation enjoyed the five-star celebration. As you know, that same evening, Fenerbahçe became the Euroleague champion, and I congratulate them on that occasion. The next day, a call was made to the airport, but as you know, football is the locomotive of this business; if I returned from Hajj, my family and friends would greet me with a larger crowd."
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