17.01.2026 23:10
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk spoke after the Gaziantep FK match. Reacting to the referee of the match, Okan Buruk said, "The match was interrupted a lot, it wasn't played. The ball was in play for a short time. The opponent started to have injuries in the second half. Referees also like to stop the game. Our dear MHK president supports this, saying to stop the game, I guess. A FIFA referee was focused on stopping the game."
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk made statements after the match against Gaziantep FK, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
"YOU NEED TO OPEN WITH QUALITY FEET"
Evaluating the match, Okan Buruk said, "First of all, I congratulate our opponent for their effort. They played 5-3-2. Their forwards also came back to defend, there was a solid defense. You need to open this up with quality feet. An early goal was important. We had a chance with Yunus, there were set pieces. We didn't let the opponent cross into our half. We had 72-73% possession in the first half. We could have produced more. We struggled to create."
"WE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN ANY OF THEM"
The successful coach continued his evaluations, saying, "When we entered the final third, we had few players, we increased that in the second half. The opponent had 2 set piece opportunities, we even let them into our half. There were transitions after we lost the ball in the second half. It hit 3 of our players, and we conceded a goal from there. We could have produced more. We struggled to create in the second half. Icardi had a one-on-one chance, there was a head-to-head situation. If Sane had 1-2 touches, he could have been one-on-one. We fell short of the positions a team like ours should create. We needed to play a more productive game, play faster and vertically, and play one-on-ones. We were not successful in any of them."
'REFEREES LIKE THE GAME TO STOP'
Reacting to the referee of the match, Buruk said, "The match was interrupted a lot, it wasn't played. The ball's time in play was low. The opponent started to have injuries in the second half. Referees also like the game to stop. Our dear MHK president supports this, saying to stop the game, I guess. A FIFA referee was focused on stopping the game."
"THE REASON IS NOT THE REFEREE"
Continuing his words, Okan Buruk stated, "The reason for the match ending like this is not the referee. We couldn't do what was necessary. When the pace of the game slows down, not being able to score creates stress. There were also wrong decisions, the pressure to score as soon as possible... We will lift our heads. We are leaders. There is a Champions League match in 4 days. The good thing about today is that there were no injuries."
"WE HAVE DEFICIENCIES"
The experienced coach, who stated that they would do everything to make their fans happy, said, "We will lift our heads, today our fans who came to support us in this cold are our biggest sadness. We are very upset when we cannot send them away happy. We will do everything to make them happy. We must be better. We have deficiencies, our players in the national team, we have players who are suspended. We know that we will be better when they return. The good performance of each player will also push their teammates. We know this too. There is a Champions League match on Wednesday that is like a final. We will make our fans, whom we upset today, happy that day."
"I AM AWARE OF EVERYTHING"
Okan Buruk concluded his speech by saying, "We are aware of everything, and I am aware too. We are the most upset when we upset our fans."