17.10.2026 19:52
Galatasaray's head coach Okan Buruk stated after the Gençlerbirliği match that the poor pitch affected their successful performances. Speaking about Rafael Leao, the successful coach said, "It was a difficult pitch with a high risk of injury. We suffered injuries because of the pitch. Playing matches on such pitches is something to be debated."
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk made statements after the 1-0 league win over Gençlerbirliği.
"THE PITCH IS VERY BAD!"
Criticizing the pitch, Okan Buruk said, "We should have concentrated well without using the pitch, the fixture congestion, or the Champions League as an excuse. We needed to take the opponent seriously. We showed our opponent's game from last week too much. We started the match well, for 10-15 minutes. At the end of the first half and the start of the second half, we conceded too many chances. The pitch is very bad; we can discuss whether it is possible to judge the players on this pitch. There were too many poor performances. When you cannot do the simpler things, you will not use the pitch as an excuse. If you cannot make a simple pass, if you lose positions in defense and attack, you need to review yourself." he said.
"WE SUFFERED INJURIES BECAUSE OF THE PITCH''
The successful coach, who announced that Rafael Leao was injured, said, "Winning these kinds of matches is important. An earlier goal could have made the match different. We need to congratulate our opponent for the chances they created. They wanted it more than we did. It was a difficult pitch with a high risk of injury. We suffered an injury because of the pitch. Playing matches on these pitches is something to be discussed. Most importantly, inspection; the TFF needs to inspect these pitches. That is its job. Maybe the TFF is not currently in a position to inspect, but it needs to inspect. It is a pitch that will harm player health, not only Galatasaray's but also Gençlerbirliği's. We lost a player. There is a match in Europe in 3 days.'' he said.
"WE NEVER PLAYED VERY WELL"
Continuing his assessment, Okan Buruk commented, "We are happy that we won, but in terms of our play and concentration, we should have done better. At times we saw our opponent come with clear chances. They were a more rested and more motivated team than us. They showed that on the pitch. At the end of the day, scoring that goal in the last minute was important. In the last 10-15 minutes, we were the side that created chances while conceding few. There were periods when we played well and poorly, but we never played very well. At the end of the match we had possession of the ball, and in the last 10-15 minutes we did not concede chances. We should have done much better. The pitch cannot be an excuse in any way. I will not use that as an excuse. Match by match, we rotate 2-3 players. After this there is a European match. With the morale here — we did not play well, but with the morale of the win, we will prepare for the Lille match." he commented.