02.11.2026 13:40
Galatasaray Technical Director Okan Buruk spoke about the resignations of Metin Öztürk and Abdullah Kavukcu at a press conference held before the Stuttgart match to be played in the Champions League. Expressing his discomfort over what happened, Buruk said, "We would not want to experience such a thing during a period when we were doing very well." The experienced coach also drew attention with his remarks about the Fenerbahçe derby.
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk answered questions from members of the press ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Stuttgart. Assessing the latest situation of the yellow-and-red team, Buruk made statements about the successive resignations at the club, the Fenerbahçe derby, and the performances of his players.
HE SPOKE ABOUT THE RESIGNATIONS AT GALATASARAY
After the resignations of Galatasaray Second President Metin Öztürk and Board Member and Sportif A.Ş. Deputy Chairman Abdullah Kavukcu, attention turned to Okan Buruk. Asked at the press conference whether the resignations of the two executives would affect the team at Kemerburgaz, Buruk gave the following answer:
“We are focused on the match. These are not things we want; we would not want to experience something like this during a period when we are doing very well, and we do not want it. We must focus on the match right now. We have a president who will make the decision on this matter. We are only thinking about the football side. This match is very important; there is no excuse for either me or my players.”
“WE COULD HAVE SCORED 5-6 GOALS AGAINST FENERBAHÇE”
Also assessing their performance in the Fenerbahçe derby, Okan Buruk said they could have obtained a different score in the match.
Buruk said, “Matches are very variable. You should not look only at the score; you need to look at the games. The match in which we conceded the most chances was the Gençlerbirliği match; we did not defend well, but we did not concede a goal. In the matches where we defended well, we conceded goals. We scored 4 goals in the last match. However, the Fenerbahçe match was one in which we could have scored at least 5-6 if we had finished it well.”
Stating that his team has improved in terms of play, the experienced coach also drew attention to their defensive performance and expressed that they put up a successful fight as a team in the Lille and Fenerbahçe matches.
“6 POINTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT”
Mentioning the importance of the Stuttgart match, Buruk stated that the opponent has shown different performances in the league and in Europe. “We can separate our opponent into league and Europe. They are not where they want to be in the league; they had 5 defeats. They won their last match and rose to 9 points. In the Champions League they are in a good position with 7 points. They have two different performances. What is important for us is the last match.”
Evaluating the opponent's playing system, Buruk also touched on Stuttgart's performance against Bayer Leverkusen:
“They started the season with a back three, switched to a back four, and returned to a back three. They played with 5 players with high attacking power. They beat Leverkusen, but the match could have ended 6-6. They played very courageously in the Leverkusen match. They created many chances and gave away many chances.”
While Buruk assessed Stiller's absence at Stuttgart as an advantage, he emphasized that Galatasaray is in good condition physically and mentally.
STATEMENT ON İLKAY GÜNDOĞAN AND SANE
Okan Buruk also answered the question regarding İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sane's recently decreased playing time, saying that he is pleased with the two players' work.
“We have two very good players both as people and in terms of footballing talent. They are trying to support the team. We are very happy with İlkay and Leroy; their performances will keep improving, we are sure of that.”
Stating that they have a large squad, Buruk expressed that the players' playing time can vary depending on the opponent, the state of the match, and their performances.
The experienced coach emphasized that both players continue to train at the same tempo in training sessions.
“WE HAVE DISPELLED THE DARK CLOUDS”
Stating that their start to the season was difficult for them, Okan Buruk said that the prolongation of transfer processes and the addition of new players to the team affected adaptation. Expressing his confidence in his team and technical staff, Buruk used the following statements:
“My players and I are very comfortable inside. I trust my players very much; I trust their performances. I trust my own performance and my team's performance very much. I trust our environment. I trust the great Galatasaray fans very much.”
Stating that he is pleased with the team's development, Buruk said, “We have now dispelled those dark clouds. We are coming to a much better place not only in terms of results but also in terms of play. This is also important.”
“WE ARE EXPECTING AN IMPORTANT SUCCESS FOR GALATASARAY'S HISTORY”
Stating that they want to win against Stuttgart in the Champions League, Okan Buruk emphasized the importance of fan support. “We have a very important chance tomorrow. The atmosphere created by Galatasaray fans in the Champions League is incredibly impressive. Both I and my players are eagerly awaiting it. We are expecting an important success for Galatasaray's history tomorrow.”