14.04.2026 18:43
Experienced coach Şenol Güneş, who attended the 'Sports Tourism Workshop and Panel' held in Bolu, stated that the A National Team could comfortably advance to the quarter-finals in the World Cup. Güneş, who also evaluated the championship race in the Süper Lig and the performances of Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, commented on the referee controversies in Turkish football, saying, 'They have brought us to a chaos that shakes justice in the country's football. No one trusts any referee.'
The 'Sports Tourism Workshop and Panel in the Heart of Nature, Bolu', hosted by Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University (BAİBÜ), brought together prominent figures of Turkish sports: Ertuğrul Sağlam, Şenol Güneş, Suat Çelen, and Harun Erdenay.
The panel, organized by the BAİBÜ Faculty of Tourism, Department of Tourism Management at the İzzet Baysal Culture Center Blue Hall, was moderated by Provincial Youth and Sports Director Emrullah Güler and Provincial Culture and Tourism Director İbrahim Emre Gürsoy. At the panel, which attracted intense interest from students and sports enthusiasts, master figures who have served Turkish sports for many years as athletes, administrators, and technical staff shared their career journey experiences with the youth filling the hall.
STATEMENTS FROM ŞENOL GÜNEŞ Experienced technical staff member Şenol Güneş, who attended the event, answered questions from the press after the event. Güneş made striking statements regarding the status of the A National Team, the championship race in the Süper Lig, and referee controversies in Turkish football.
"THERE SEEMS TO BE A PATH TO REACH THE QUARTER-FINALS COMFORTABLY" Speaking about the current status and tournament expectations of the A National Football Team, Güneş said, "I congratulate all the management, the president, the technical staff, and the players who achieved the success in the past. We were both happy and proud when we achieved that result together with our fans and our nation, but that is now behind us. A new era, a new excitement. We have a young squad. I congratulate the current president, management, coach Montella and his team, and all the players; I wish them all success. I expect success from our current players, who are both younger and more experienced, playing in higher-level teams, with the experience they gain there. There was a 2002 World Cup with 32 teams, now there is a World Cup with 48 teams. It seems, I hope it happens, that I think it will be easier for us to advance from the group and pass the round of 16. Our wish is to reach the semi-finals and, God willing, win the cup, but on paper, there currently seems to be a path to reach the quarter-finals comfortably. But what matters is the football played on the field. More importantly, it's the representation of the country. By participating, we have won this candidacy of representation. But now, the impression we leave there with our players, management, and fans is much more important. Let it be an impression worthy of our country. Let there be fair-play behavior, exemplary behavior. If I give an example from the 2002 World Cup, more important than the result we achieved were the traces we left when we eliminated two hosts, and especially the fact that our players and Korean players together saluted the stands in the 3rd place match, showing that football is about friendship and brotherhood."
WORDS ON ARDA GÜLER AND KENAN YILDIZ Speaking about the young talents Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, the experienced technical staff member said, "I spoke in general for all players. Well, two of them are Arda and Kenan. Both play for very high-level teams. They also play for our national team. This is a great advantage for Turkey. They are at a high level both in talent and character at a young age. Of course, I think both of them can do it, and our other players can do it too. But for example, Kenan's fair-play behavior in the Kosovo match at the moment we qualified for the World Cup is an event we can be proud of. We are proud of them."
"WHOEVER DESERVES IT, LET IT BE THEM" Answering a question about the championship race in the Süper Lig, Güneş said, "The Süper Lig is a topic I am distant from. I am not concerned with it right now. If we look at the football race, 4 teams currently appear to be contenders. The first two, the first three of these are more advantageous. Galatasaray has an advantage because they are ahead, but in football, any result is possible. Whoever deserves it, let it be them. Let football be played beautifully, let there be competition, but no fighting."
"NO ONE BELIEVES ANY REFEREE ANYMORE" Making harsh criticisms about referees, the most debated topic in Turkish football, Güneş said, "Our referees need to learn lessons from the last two, three years. Those who assign referees also need to take some responsibility. Because they have brought us to a chaos that shakes justice in the country's football. I am saying this to those who manage the referees. That is, I am saying this to their administrators who defended them last year but now cannot say anything. What did you think when you sent away the previous referees? What did you think when you brought in the current referees? We have reached a point where the state of the country's referees, and more importantly, the shaken sense of justice of the teams and the spectators. No one believes any referee anymore, no one thinks they are fair. If everyone shows they are right from their own perspective, then we must ask those who manage that job."