12.02.2025 23:10
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk made statements at a press conference before the first match against the Dutch representative AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 play-off. Speaking about the penalty they won with Mertens in the interrupted match against Adana Demirspor, Buruk said, "We could count maybe 5 penalties for Fenerbahçe in this way. No one can call my player a fraud."
In the first match of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 playoff, Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk and the Yellow-Red player Barış Alper Yılmaz spoke at a press conference before the match against the Dutch representative AZ Alkmaar. Buruk made striking statements regarding the penalty situation in the interrupted match against Adana Demirspor.
OKAN BURUK'S STATEMENTS
Okan Buruk's statements are as follows;
"It’s a stadium we know well. We have two matches ahead of us. Playing the first match away will be important for us. We have previously followed what our opponent does well during the game. They know us well too. I trust my players. We have significant absences, but I trust the players who will start and continue."
"THIS WAS CREATED BY GALATASARAY CLUB"
In our country, people tend to be more emotional, wanting the most... This was created by the Galatasaray Club, the expectations are very high. Sometimes, when transfers are delayed, the pressure increases. On one hand, we need to compete, and on the other hand, we need to make transfers. I think the mid-season transfer went well. The biggest challenge was being able to register 3 players in the squad. Transfer periods go like this. We are 6 points ahead in the league, and we have come this far in Europe. From now on, my job will get harder; we have a very quality squad."
"FENERBAHÇE MAY HAVE RECEIVED 5 PENALTIES THIS WAY"
"The slanders, the mistakes made, the insults directed at my players... Whoever calls my player a fraud, the TFF will impose the necessary penalty. Because we can count so many things in football... The players' attitudes are certainly very important, but we can count maybe 5 penalties for Fenerbahçe this way."
"NO ONE CAN CALL MY PLAYER A FRAUD"
"Footballers sometimes try this; a player sometimes goes and earns a foul. The one who will make that decision is the referee. Also, there is a system called VAR referee. It is very wrong to discuss the mistakes of the referees here through the players. None of us say 'You did well for this,' but it is not appropriate to load this onto a player. No one can call my player a fraud."
"WE WILL PLAY AGAINST A GOOD TEAM"
"We came with a less complete squad compared to the first match. Considering the suspended, injured, and departed players, we are missing 8-9 players compared to that match. Still, I believe we have a very good 11. Our opponent also has injuries. The first match was nice; it was a clean match. I have great respect for our opponent. We will play against a good team."
BARIŞ ALPER YILMAZ'S STATEMENTS
Barış Alper Yılmaz said, "Morata is a very big player. We have very quality players like Osimhen and Mertens. We are very lucky to learn something from them as young players. They are also lucky to play with me. I try to take good care of myself. I am here today thanks to my coach and my club. I want to contribute to my team. I do my best wherever my coach assigns me," he said.