On September 6, Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım issued a statement regarding recent refereeing decisions and UEFA disciplinary sanctions against the club. Earlier, Fenerbahçe had lost 1-2 at home to Beşiktaş in the Turkish Super Lig, and several decisions during the match had prompted complaints from the club.

Addressing the team's position on refereeing matters, Aziz Yıldırım stated that Fenerbahçe would not pressure anyone and simply hoped that the relevant authorities would fulfill their responsibilities.

«We will not pressure anyone. We are simply stating what happened. Those responsible for these duties must do their job. We keep repeating: 'We went to the football federation, we met with the president of the Central Referees Commission.' That is not a solution; that is the wrong approach.»

Aziz Yıldırım believes that referees and VAR should be held accountable for key decisions during matches. Citing a controversial handball incident in the 5th minute as an example, he stated that if the referee had not seen it, VAR should have intervened.

«Look at the entire 90-minute match. In the 5th minute, the opponent handled the ball with their hand. If the referee saw it, they should have whistled. If they didn't see it, VAR should have. Why does VAR exist? It's to see what the referee missed. If VAR can't even see that, then we don't need VAR. Let's abolish it.»

He also criticized certain television commentators and former referees, arguing that some commentators do not strictly follow the rules when analyzing decisions but rather interpret them according to their personal understanding.

«Football isn't like that. If the ball touches a hand, the rules clearly state from what position that constitutes a handball. You just follow the rules and make a decision, instead of constantly saying 'that's not how it is' or 'that's how it is.'»

Aziz Yıldırım also stated that certain commentators' remarks could mislead fans. He emphasized that he might in the future publicly name specific commentators and remind them of incorrect decisions they have made in the past.

«You are not only misleading fans, but also trying to explain what happened in a way different from what actually occurred. This will also harm us. After the next match, I will name certain people and also remind them of errors they have made previously.»

Regarding intervention by the football federation and the Central Referees Commission, Aziz Yıldırım believes it is not the club president's responsibility to handle this.

«We raise and discuss these issues not only with the president, but in other forums as well. However, we have not complained about anyone. The institutions responsible for these duties must fulfill their responsibilities. It is not the club president's job to manage this. The football federation, the Central Referees Commission, and all other commissions must do their part.»

Speaking on Fenerbahçe's current squad and its competitiveness in the Champions League, Aziz Yıldırım stated that the team's squad was generally strong and emphasized that more opportunities should be given to young Turkish players.

«There will be a financial meeting on September 27, and I will clarify everything at that time. What is important is developing the young Turkish players in our squad and helping them truly progress.»

Regarding claims of a shortage of center backs, he stated that the team still had young players and options like Mert Müldür.

«Now, some people say we lack center backs. We already brought in a young player. Now we also have a player named Mert Müldür; why not use him? If necessary, we can certainly deploy him.»

Aziz Yıldırım believes that Fenerbahçe will not miss important matches this season, and if the team can reasonably utilize its existing squad, it still has the conditions to succeed.

«There are 8 Champions League matches, plus 6 matches against Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, and Trabzonspor, for a total of 14 matches. If this squad plays all 14 matches, can it succeed? Yes, it can.»

He also stressed that the team cannot blindly solve squad problems through expensive transfers. Due to factors such as foreign player quotas and the under-23 player market, continuously investing 50 to 60 million euros in transfer fees is unrealistic.

«Now there are only 10 spots for foreign players—how can we bring in more? There are no spots for players under 23, you cannot buy them at all, and others won't sell them to you. The market has become this way now, with transfer fees starting at 50-60 million euros.»

«If we keep spending 50-60 million euros and buy 3 players, who pays for that? The fans do. Isn't that very unfortunate for them?»

Regarding the team's current squad, Aziz Yıldırım offered a positive assessment: «Our squad is good; there are no squad problems. But we still need to work harder.»

Discussing the UEFA disciplinary sanctions previously imposed on Fenerbahçe players Guendouzi and Greenwood, Aziz Yıldırım revealed that the club had initiated an appeal process.

«Our staff has already submitted the appeal request, and will then appeal to the arbitration body. We hope the sanctions can be reduced during the arbitration process. As far as I know, Greenwood's sanction has been overturned. We believe Guendouzi's sanction will also be reduced.»

Previously, during the Champions League qualifying match against Lyon, both Guendouzi and Greenwood received UEFA disciplinary sanctions. Guendouzi received a 4-match suspension, with 2 matches suspended for 1 year, and Greenwood received a 1-match suspension, suspended for 1 year.

Finally, Aziz Yıldırım again addressed the refereeing controversy in the Fenerbahçe vs. Beşiktaş match and apologized to the fans.

«Let me repeat: we did not play well today, and we apologize to the fans. However, if the referee had officiated fairly, we might not have lost this match.»

He also urged the media to be more careful when commenting on matches: «Please examine the specific situations in these matches before commenting. Watch the match, analyze it, and then you can say whether their decision was correct or incorrect. But don't jump to conclusions just by sitting in front of your television.»

Traduit par IA.

Le site web d'AF est désormais en ligne ! Actualités complètes, commentaires, détails des matchs et statistiques sur votre ordinateur. Visitez : www.allfootballapp.com