Who lost and who won in the end

Galatasaray has become the year’s winning team. A new atmosphere prevails among both its administration and its technical staff. I have summed up the personalities and stances behind this transformation below:

ÜNAL AYSAL: Because he came from outside the sports world, he brought a particular atmosphere to the club. Unlike former presidents, he prioritized correcting irregularities in the club’s budget. With his business experience, he opted for a non-meddling attitude and did not speak unless he needed to. He delegated and did not interfere. It must have caught your attention that only Ali Dürüst and Fatih Terim have been talking on behalf of the administration after matches. The most striking example was the championship night. Even en route to the club with the cup, he did not steal any scenes. He left the players and the technical staff alone. He did not share in their labor. This cup has both opened Ünal Aysal’s path and extended his presidency. Aysal has, in the eyes of the whole community, fully taken the post of the president in every sense.

FATİH TERİM: Not only in the hearts of Galatasaray community, but in the hearts of the whole sports world, he now occupies the throne of the “emperor.” Instead of the Fatih Terim we used to know, now he is a calmer, more restrained coach, open to criticism. Both he and Aysal took many risks. The next term will be easier than the previous term for them. Galatasaray will have a better chance in the coming years. Victories in European cups will especially be crowning events for Terim.

The other administrators who contributed to Galatasaray’s success are primarily Ali Dürüst and Abdülrahim Albayrak, and also Sedat Doğan, Refik Arkan and Necati Demirkol, as well as all of the club’s other administrators.

Fenerbahçe, the strongest NGO
Even though the championship is lost, I want to add Aziz Yıldırım to the list of those who won. With his stance, he has made the Fenerbahçe sports club one of the most influential nongovernmental organizations ever. Even though he is under arrest, he has managed the club from a distance and controlled developments. It is certain that he will again be selected president in the next elections. It is an unprecedented situation.

NİHAT ÖZDEMİR: With his extremely moderate manner, he has not lost his smile even in the most difficult of situations. He was like an experienced captain docking his ship in stormy weather.

ALİ KOÇ and AYKUT KOCAMAN: Despite his young age, Ali Koç was determined and patient. Even though he is not happy with the outcome, and even though he made harsh and excited statements from time to time, Ali Koç won the hearts of Fener fans. Aykut Kocaman is a coach I admire. He was exceptionally even-tempered. He was always polite. He planted team spirit and brought the team to the finals with success.

Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan may have offended some Fener fans, but he won the hearts of the rest of the country. Not only he did he intervene Saturday evening, he demonstrated a principled stance in his statements. Even though he is a Fenerbahçe supporter, he criticized the club’s administrators and condemned those who perpetrated terrorism on the pitch.

Losers: administrators, TFF, governor and fans
The list of losers starts with administrators. No offense, but those chiefly responsible for the chaos were some club administrators. Those who think only of fighting, those who talk just to harm their rivals, and those who provoke the supporter, all lost in the public eye.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) could have held the cup ceremony wherever it wanted to. It chose Kadıköy, and when incidents broke out it did not take any initiative. The decisions it made during this process were very bad. Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu was very anxious about the incidents and he was openly scared. When the TFF fled, he was left alone and lost the initiative.

In each club, there is a group of supporters in the stands who both vandalize their beloved team and also inflict colossal damage on Turkish football. These hooligan supporters came down by all means this season.