MHK President Ferhat Gündoğdu gives a bombshell response to claims that VAR recordings are manipulated.

The President of the Central Referee Board of the Turkish Football Federation, Ferhat Gündoğdu, made striking statements regarding the new refereeing system. Gündoğdu also responded to allegations that VAR recordings were edited.

NEW SYSTEM IN MHK

Ferhat Gündoğdu's statements to TRT Spor are as follows;

"This is a topic that is on everyone's agenda. You said the referees are in the lead role. The lead role should be football here. As a nation, we load too much meaning onto it. We expect everything from the referee that we expect from the lead actor. It is time to shift the meaning we attribute from individuals back to the game. In the specific context of refereeing, our football is moving away from the enjoyment of watching. This also reduces the brand value. What should we do for the brand value of football? Such a study was initiated during Nihat Özdemir's time. Meetings were held regarding the restructuring of the refereeing system. When I took office after Mr. Serdar, they had discussed this system with me. The foundations of today started from those times. Later, this topic was not discussed for a while. It was also brought up during Mehmet Büyükekşi's term. They had prepared a report regarding this.

"WE HAD MEETINGS IN GERMANY AND ENGLAND"

With the report we prepared, we said we can now propose this. We explained this work at the Clubs Union meeting, and they accepted it. The button has been pressed now. We had meetings in Germany and England.

"THERE ARE TWO GOOD EXAMPLES IN THE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT OF REFEREEING"

Making comparisons is a very good thing. We can compare how we manage refereeing right now. There are two excellent examples in the professional management of refereeing. These are the examples of England and Germany. We do not have the opportunity to take them as direct examples. The systems they have established may overlap with us in some areas. In cases where they do not overlap, we set out to adapt it to ourselves. The fundamental point of the system became this. We saw the results of managing the refereeing system of the Super League and the 1st League, which have such great economic value, with the logic of public administration. This system did not work well.

"OUR GOAL IS TO SWITCH TO A SYSTEM WHERE APPOINTMENTS WILL BE AUTOMATIC"

Two of the people who will supervise the work in that transition period, which we call the advisory board, will be from Super League clubs, one from 1st League clubs, and two will be determined by the TFF. There will be a total of a 5-person team. We proposed that this system start in the 20th week. We wanted to gain experience during the transition period in half a season. Our Clubs Union president also mentioned it. Maybe it won't be the 20th week; it may be postponed a bit further. It is likely to happen within two weeks." The advisory board has a role in making recommendations. Our goal is to switch to a system where appointments will be made automatically after the Advisory Board starts its duties.

"YOU CAN APPOINT ALL REFEREES"

Our federation president told the clubs, 'You can appoint all referees. You can have a say in the completely new refereeing system.' The clubs accepted this offer.

FOREIGN VAR REFEREE EXPLANATION

The decision regarding the foreign VAR referee is currently with the TFF's board of directors. In the current arrangement, the TFF can make a decision on foreign referees. But in the new system, the Advisory Board will recommend this. For example, the board will propose, 'We want to use Goal Line Technology.' It will go to the board of directors with the request of the MHK. The TFF President had already made a statement indicating that he would approve these decisions.

"INJUSTICE TO REFEREES"

In a system where the MHK President changes every six months, discussing referee performance is a great injustice to referees.

"THE CHAOS WE EXPERIENCE COMES FROM THE PAST"

If we continue with the same referee performance, you say that the arrival of the new system will not change much. I do not expect a direct change either. We are experiencing a lot of chaos, but we are not living this only today. This is something that comes from the past. The development in referee performances is still not at the expected level.

"I DO NOT THINK THEY ARE VERY PROFESSIONAL"

How professional have we been able to make our referees, how much do we sustain them, how much do we protect them! Or how are the opportunities we provide to them? I do not think they are very professional. For this reason, I believe that injustice is being done to referees.

"WE DO NOT CLAIM TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS IN TURKISH REFEREEING"

We do not claim that the Advisory Board will solve all the problems in Turkish refereeing. Our claim is to gain this experience during the transition period and to transfer this experience when a decision is made for corporatization. Therefore, no solution is expected from them, and they do not have such a duty.

"HAVING DIFFERENT OPINIONS IS MUCH BETTER"

There are clubs that say they do not participate in this system, but we see this as an opportunity. Having different opinions is much better. Let different opinions and objections increase during the advisory process so that when we reach July, we have many solution proposals in hand.

"CONTINUOUSLY TRIED"

Will my resignation, the resignation of one of us, or the change of the MHK save us? These have already been tried continuously.

"THE FORESEEN SYSTEM IS CORPORATIZATION"

The ideal and foreseen system is corporatization. This corporatization only happens when a general assembly is held by the TFF to change the statute. We can implement this system with an internal regulation change. This is the case for the federation side. The Clubs Union will work on the legal regulation on their side.

"I AM PERSONALLY AGAINST FOREIGN REFEREES"

I am personally against foreign referees. But if the Advisory Board makes a recommendation, my personal opinion will have no meaning there. If the advisory board recommends it, it will be accepted.

"THE APPOINTMENTS WE MAKE BY HAND ARE VERY CRITICIZED"

We will use the automatic appointment system starting from the 20th week. Right now, we are making manual appointments. We assign referees we see fit for important matches according to the importance of the matches. However, this system is heavily criticized. It is not accepted, and we become the unwanted person.

"PREJUDICES WILL BE BROKEN"

With the automatic referee appointment system, every referee will go out for every match. This system will break all prejudices.

"LET'S BROADCAST VAR DISCUSSIONS LIVE"

• It is claimed that there is editing in VAR recordings?

I just laugh at this. You can find something for everything. My suggestion is to broadcast the discussions live when the referee goes to review on the field. I will propose this to the Advisory Board.