German midfielder still enjoys city, but misses Black Eagles
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Fabian Ernst (2nd R) struggles for the ball during a league game against İstanbul Büyükşehir. ‘Being a part of development has excited me a lot and I decided to come to Kasımpaşa,’ Ernst says. AA photo
Kasımpaşa-spor’s German midfielder Fabian Ernst, who used to play for Beşiktaş, has said he never received the attention and love that he did from Beşiktaş fans while playing for German teams and he still did not understand why he was sent away from the Istanbul club.“I had a wonderful time at Beşiktaş, but forcing the players to lower their salary, this is not happening in Europe, you see something like this only in the football clubs in Turkey. This is not the way to treat a player,” Ernst told the Hürriyet Daily News.
Ernst, dubbed the “superb German technology” by Turkish football fans, parted ways with Beşiktaş at the beginning of this season after three years on the team, when he refused to lower his salary.
“My contract was not over; I had two more years with Beşiktaş. However, they cancelled my contract without my knowledge. I was very surprised when I heard the news, but it was a decision made by the club. Sometimes the club wants to go different ways and as a player you have to accept that,” Ernst said.
He said the club’s decision was most likely about the issue of money. “They wanted to lower the salaries of some players. But I still think they had strange methods of doing this,” Ernst said.
Despite the unpleasant separation, Ernst said he had wonderful time while he was playing at Beşiktaş.
“I really enjoyed playing at Beşiktaş. As you play in the international champions’ league, you play with big players like Gutti, Quaresma, Simao, Almedia, etc… Of course Beşiktaş has its own flare,” he said.
Obviously one of the most influential elements of the Beşiktaş club are its supporters and its fan group, “Çarşı.” Ernst had spent his entire career in Germany before joining Beşiktaş.
Never experienced such love from fans
“I never got the attention and love that I did from Beşiktaş fans while I was playing in Germany,” he said. “For me this was a completely new experience… I was also a good player in Germany, but the reactions of the fans were not like that. One of the best times in my career was playing for Beşiktaş and experiencing that kind of relationship with my fans and friends [there].”
Ernst has signed a two-year contract with another Istanbul team, Kasımpaşaspor, after leaving Beşiktaş.
He said Kasımpaşa was a new club in the Turkish football arena that is trying to develop and find its way in the top league. “So being a part of this development has excited me a lot and I decided to come to Kasımpaşa.”
Ernst said although he plays for Kasımpaşa, he still receives good receptions from Beşiktaş fans.
“A couple of weeks ago we played against Beşiktaş in Kasımpaşa and I was very happy that Beşiktaş fans did not forget me. When I came out they screamed my name. I went nearby them and said hello,” the player said.
‘Fundamental missing’ in Turkish game
Fabian Ernst sees a major difference between German football and Turkish football: the fundamental training.
“The fundamentals are missing in Turkish football. In the big clubs they put the money at the top, they buy big names and spend a lot of money on the players, but in Germany they have extremely developed schools for young players, especially for the last 15 years,” Ernst said.
Ernst also said he thinks that Turkish football players acted in a more emotional way on the pitch than their German colleagues.
“Here in Turkey football players are more emotional. They mostly play without a system, they go and try to take the ball and do something. In Germany it is more team based,” he said.
New swimmer in Istanbul's Bosphorus
One of the things Fabian Ernst enjoys doing most in Istanbul is swimming in the Bosphorus.
“In the summer time I really enjoy getting on a boat and going swimming in the Bosphorus. My landlord has an old-style wooden boat and it is really nice. So we were going in the direction of the Black Sea with him and swimming there, it was great,” he said.The father of 4-year-old twin boys, Ernst does not enjoy going out at night much.
“I don’t do much in my spare time. I like to stay at home. Even though I am 33, I still play
Playstation. I don’t have a nightlife, I generally go out once or twice a year,” he said.
However, he likes going to visit different restaurants and try new tastes. “My favorite Turkish food is pide,” he said, referring to a savory Turkish pastry.
