Fener’s Dutch coach Advocaat to take time on contract decision

ISTANBUL

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Fenerbahçe coach Dick Advocaat will take his time to consider whether to sign a contract to stay at the club for another year, Fenerbahçe Deputy Chairman Şekip Mosturoğlu has announced. 

“[Club Chairman Aziz] Yıldırım made an offer to Advocaat for another year. He asked time to think. Advocaat loves this place a lot. There is speculation that he will leave due to the events that took place,” Mosturoğlu said on Feb. 8, referring to the tensions in the Feb. 5 Ziraat Turkey Cup Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş game. 

Tension rose in the game after Fenerbahçe’s Robin van Persie and Beşiktaş’s Dusko Tosic confronted each other, resulting in a red for Tosic and a yellow for van Persie. The game was marked by brawls and on-pitch violence.

“We need to think, if names like van Persie and Advocaat don’t come to Turkey, then who will?” Mosturoğlu asked. 

While noting that he accepted Beşiktaş Chairman Firket Orman’s apology, Mosturoğlu said he did not know whether the Fenerbahçe community would accept it.

“I accept the apology on my behalf. I don’t know if our community will. I don’t know if the players will,” he said. 

Mosturoğlu also said he apologized on his behalf.

“Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş are not facing each other for the first time. The things we say can polarize people. Beşiktaş is our long-standing rival, but our eternal friend. However, these periods should be the periods that stay at the level of joking. There shouldn’t be fights. Sports should be seen as a unifying factor. I apologize on my behalf. If I had a hand in these events, just like Fikret Orman, I apologize,” he added.

Fenerbahçe won the game 1-0 thanks to a van Persie goal that handed Beşiktaş its first loss at its new stadium, Vodafone Arena.

After the game, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) referred players and officials from both clubs to the Professional Football Discipline Committee (PFDK).

According to a statement released by TFF, the teams were sent to PFDK for the brawls and insults.

Beşiktaş Club Executive Board Spokesman Metin Albayrak, Beşiktaş coach Şenol Güneş, Tosic and van Persie were all sent to the discipline committee.