12.04.2026 23:40
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk made statements after the match against Kocaelispor. Buruk, expressing that they will be champions, complained about the stoppages in the game, saying, "We committed a lot of unnecessary fouls. The opponent goes down with every foul, the game stops, it slows down. This is exactly what they want. We could have stayed calmer there and understood what we were doing. This is the place we will be most upset about."
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk made statements after the match against Kocaelispor, which ended in a 1-1 draw in the Super League.
"WHAT UPSET ME THE MOST..."
Evaluating the match, Okan Buruk said, "In certain minutes of the first and second halves, we had a lot of possession. We played fully forward in the first half. We didn't let the opponent get to the goal. In the second half, we didn't give any chances until the goal. I don't remember. That period was about 5 minutes where our defense line pulled back a bit, the opponent came at us, and especially the second goal was very important. We got into a clear position; if we had scored, we could have broken the game. Suddenly, the opponent gained confidence. Our players went back. We wanted to intervene with two substitutions. After that, we conceded a goal. After conceding the goal, the game became very different. What upset me the most is this." he said.
"THEY WANTED TIME TO PASS..."
Complaining about the opponent slowing down the game, Okan Buruk stated, "After we conceded the goal, we panicked a lot. We could have produced more. We could have stayed calmer. We made a lot of unnecessary fouls. The opponent falls down on every foul, the game stops, it slows down. This is exactly what they wanted. The opponent's long balls, second balls... We also gave one clear chance. This was the part where we played the game wrongly and poorly. In the last 10 minutes, we took risks. While taking risks, we should have taken the ball more into the opponent's penalty area. The opponent defended well. The game wasn't played in extra time either. Time-wasting is something that opponents love when it's a draw. We also allowed this with unnecessary fouls. We could have stayed calmer there and known what we were doing. This is the part that will upset us the most."
"WE WILL BE CHAMPIONS!"
Continuing his words, the successful coach said, "We were at home. We had to win. We had a chance to maintain the point difference. We couldn't win. The advantage is still with us. We are the ones who are ahead, the first. We experienced similar things in previous years. We will be champions again."
"THE PLACE WHERE WE ALL GOT ANGRY..."
The experienced coach stated that they will progress match by match, saying, "From now on, we will drop to a single match. Playing 3 matches in a row this week tired us. The most critical part was that we had 2-3 half-fit players. Yunus, Lang, and Sara played with injuries. The fact that these types of players in the attacking line are not at 100%... Playing with Osimhen is valuable and important. It was difficult without Osimhen. From now on, there will only be one match a week, only the cup. The weeks begin to show how good Galatasaray is in the championship race. We lost an important advantage. This is the part where we all got angry. We will use this advantage, our lead. We will win 5 matches and become champions again."
"THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THREE YEARS..."
Finally, Okan Buruk said, "It was important for Barış's performance against Göztepe when coming into this match. That's why he started as a striker. In the 15-minute period, we wanted to use Icardi. That was, of course, the part where the game was disrupted. Playing with a real striker is different. There are deficiencies on the wings. Having Osimhen, playing with a striker, playing with Icardi, and having fit players next to him... We have 1 week ahead, and we will evaluate it very well. We have the chance to rest, catch our breath, and concentrate again. We are 2 points ahead. We will continue to increase this advantage and difference. I believe a lot in my players and our fans. They believed in us a lot. We walked these paths together with them, and we became champions. We experienced these in the 3-year period. There were times we lost advantages too. This is football. You can't always do what you want. A different period is starting. We will use this period in the best way possible."