Galatasaray coach Tudor to fight for top seat, manager’s post
Galatasaray will visit Malatyaspor on Dec. 17 to defend its top seat as Turkish Super League leader, with the club voicing support to embattled coach Igor Tudor following dramatic losses to title contender rivals.
At a lunch on Dec. 14 to boost morale inside the team, club president Dursun Özbek reportedly challenged the team and coach to finish the first half of the season at the top of the standings.
“You may have dropped some points. But you have shown everyone what you are capable of at the start of the season. We are still the leader despite everything and we remain the strongest candidate for the league title,” Özbek reportedly said.
The gathering came after rumors that the club is in talks with former Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim, who was sacked from the national team last summer after a brawl at a kebab restaurant in the resort town of Kuşadası in the Aegean province of Aydın.
The club has publicly defended Croatian coach Tudor, who breathed a sigh of relief with a 4-2 win last week over Akhisarspor.
Defending champion Beşiktaş trashed Galatasaray 3-0 in an Istanbul derby on Dec. 2 after Galatasaray bowed to the now second place Başakşehir 5-1 on Nov. 18.
The Istanbul club was also held to a goalless draw with archrival Fenerbahçe earlier in the season.
Galatasaray is now on 32 points, two more than Başakşehir, which will visit Alanyaspor on Dec. 17.
Later in the day, fourth place Beşiktaş will host Osmanlıspor in a hope to keep up the pace, currently five points off the top.
Third-place Fenerbahçe will take on Karabük in the closing day of the week on Dec. 18, when Göztepespor hosts Konyaspor.
Elsewhere, Alanyaspor will clash with Sivasspor on Dec. 16 and Bursaspor will visit Trabzonspor. On Dec.17, Akhisarspor will meet Kayserispor.
