Acun Ilıcalı Responds to Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek: ‘We Are Not Fools!’

Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı made exclusive statements on the A Spor channel, addressing current topics. He responded to the remarks of Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek and commented on controversial referee decisions in certain Süper Lig matches. Ilıcalı also touched on the Talisca transfer and shared insights regarding players like Cengiz Ünder, İrfan Can Kahveci, En-Nesyri, and Tadic.

‘PRESIDENTS SHOULD SPEAK OUT’

Acun Ilıcalı began his speech as follows:
“I closely follow sports, particularly football, where I am deeply involved. My involvement as an administrator began when our president saw fit to place me in this position. It marked a new chapter in my life. I used to witness injustices; now, I experience them firsthand. I understand certain parameters better now. I’ll get to the structure soon, but first, I must explain why we’re here. I wish there were debates where the Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe presidents could speak openly. Unfortunately, that’s not happening.”

‘THE PICTURE IS CLEAR’

“You might say that vice presidents could meet and discuss instead, and we agree on that too. But after hearing the statements of the Galatasaray president, the picture before me has become perfectly clear. I felt the need to explain this.”

‘A 100% RED CARD!’

“This weekend’s turning point was the Galatasaray vs. Eyüpspor match, which is the root of today’s discussions and the reason for the Galatasaray president’s complaints. He claimed there was no proper structure, that the referee was sent on orders and carried out a deliberate operation. Let’s remember the situation he referred to. I’d like to respond to his words. Correct me if I’m wrong, but should Davinson Sanchez have received a second yellow card and been sent off in the Galatasaray – Eyüpspor match? Absolutely, yes.

Is there any doubt about that? Galatasaray should have been reduced to 10 players around the 50th minute. There was also a clear penalty situation involving an Eyüpspor player, which the referees agree on. These are two indisputable situations, 100%. There’s no room for debate here. I wish Mr. Levent Tüzemen were present; he chose not to participate, and I respect that. I would have asked him about this. A clear red card wasn’t given, Eyüpspor’s penalty wasn’t awarded, and Galatasaray had two contested situations. I’ve never seen such a disallowed goal in Europe – the goal was scored 15 seconds after a foul in the other half of the field. Galatasaray didn’t even appeal for a foul, yet we analyze that moment. Regarding Galatasaray’s penalty claims, even if they were right, there are four major errors – two against Galatasaray and two against Eyüpspor.”

‘THE REFEREE MADE EGREGIOUS ERRORS’

“Mr. Tüzemen himself said the red card was a red card. I watched the broadcast. He clearly stated that this was definitely a red card. He also criticized Davinson Sanchez. This match happened, and we all saw the uproar that followed. People asked how a referee could make such decisions. What did the referee do? He made two mistakes in favor of Eyüpspor and two in favor of Galatasaray. The referee made four egregious errors. Eyüpspor’s cases were clear-cut, while the referees were not unanimous on Galatasaray’s claims. I keep saying ‘structure,’ but Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek claims there’s no structure, only mansions. That’s the situation.”

‘WE ARE NOT FOOLS’

“I’m here, representing all Fenerbahçe fans, to highlight these irregularities. He says, ‘There’s an operation against us.’ He accuses the referees of being sent with instructions to ‘take down Galatasaray.’ Yet, the same referee ignored a blatant yellow card for a foul just 10 meters away, which should have led to a red. The same VAR referee ignored a clear penalty situation that even Mertens admitted. Are we expected to believe that this referee was sent with a specific agenda? We are not fools. We don’t believe it.”

‘EYÜPSPOR’S CASES ARE MORE CLEAR-CUT’

“I’ve repeatedly said that we won’t participate in this league’s theatrics. This situation is a theater act! There’s a visible system designed to make us believe that Galatasaray’s rights were violated. But their rights weren’t violated; Eyüpspor’s cases are more evident.”

‘I’M HERE TO COMPLETE THE PUZZLE’

“There were threats like ‘I’ll take your eye out’ and ‘I’ll break your hand.’ I found these remarks disgraceful. These are threats, plain and simple. But don’t worry, the system is clear. I use the term ‘Galatasaray’ because it’s an important club, just like Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor. My criticism is directed at the management, not the club itself. Today, I’ve come to complete the puzzle.”

‘GALATASARAY PRESIDENT HELD A SECRET MEETING WITH TFF PRESIDENT AT A SHOE FACTORY IN URFA’

“He mentioned something about mansions, implying that Ali Koç met İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu at a mansion. That never happened. You’re speaking incorrectly, Dursun Özbek. I’m asking: was there a secret meeting at a shoe factory in Urfa between the then-TFF president Büyükekşi and you, away from the media? Did it happen or not? I want to know. Let them answer this question. Say it didn’t happen.

Survivor, betting penalties, and so on… Did the meeting happen or not? Talks in mansions… Our president never held such a meeting. You claim to have heard rumors, not seen anything with your eyes. I’m not saying you’re fabricating it, but you’ve misunderstood.”

‘ILLEGAL BETTING ADS’

“They respond to my remarks by saying: ‘The owner of a channel fined by RTÜK…’ I’ve left you an image; please take a look. The image shows a match clip from Galatasaray’s YouTube channel. Do you see the illegal betting ads on the sidelines during the match? Mr. President, you’re accusing me of being fined by RTÜK for illegal betting ads.

I aired the national team match. The ad on the scoreboard was sold by Montenegro‘s Federation, and I didn’t earn a single cent from it. RTÜK is not a court, but a board. If there are numerous complaints, someone can amplify those complaints, and you may face penalties. We’ve overturned many such penalties before. It’s a decision by a board, and I respect it. That match, with illegal betting ads, is still on Galatasaray’s YouTube channel.”

‘RIDICULOUS SLANDERS’

“I’ve broadcasted countless matches, and nothing like this ever happened. I trust the judiciary. RTÜK imposed a penalty, and we appealed. I believe the penalty will be corrected. I’ve never been involved in betting, illegal activities, or anything of the sort. I’m being smeared with absurd slanders, brought up in discussions over baseless accusations. I’m not bothered by it, but it’s relentless.”

‘REFUSED TO MEET FOR TALKS’

“Last year, our president attended the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe match for a celebration. If you want to see how far from reality Dursun Özbek is, look at his statements. He claimed, ‘Come if you dare,’ when our president was already there. Our president has courage. For over a year, he has invited Özbek to talk in a civilized manner. We’ve always had that courage. Our president has invited Dursun Özbek several times. Did he come to talk? No.”

‘BE BRAVE AND FACE US’

“Ender, could you come here? (At this point, Acun Ilıcalı shows Ender Bilgin text exchanges with İbrahim Hatipoğlu.) There are messages here. Galatasaray fans, don’t be deceived. We agreed with your official on the date, time, and even the referee’s name. We proposed having the discussion during the international break. Dursun Özbek, with all his rumors, reportedly responded harshly to İbrahim Bey and told him not to attend this program no matter what.”

‘SILENCE IS TELLING’

“Let me explain the reason. The system doesn’t rely on individuals like Ahmet or Mehmet. Here’s how it works: they push for confrontation, and if the other side accepts, they back off. Be brave and face us! You were the ones who made the proposal. Step into the arena! We brought the referee as agreed. We were even ready to present the incidents we objected to and asked for yours as well. There’s no response from the other side—how convenient!”

“FENERBAHÇE’S 6 PENALTIES NOT AWARDED”

“We brought in Mark Clattenburg, an active referee who officiated a Champions League final and works as a referee analyst for the Champions League and Sky Sports. We had him watch the matches. After reviewing the footage, we understood why Hatipoğlu avoided this examination. This analysis does not include the latest red cards; a few more red cards were missed earlier. Here are Clattenburg’s findings: Galatasaray should have received 39 yellow cards instead of 23. He reviewed each situation individually and concluded that a total of 16 yellow cards and 3 red cards were not issued. For example, in the Alanyaspor match, Galatasaray should have been down to 10 players in the 10th minute. You already know about the Beşiktaş match. Galatasaray had 3 goals that should have been disallowed, and Fenerbahçe was not awarded 6 penalties. If you’re wondering why they avoided this review, this is the reason!”

“NO BALANCE AT ALL”

“We presented our objections to the referee’s decisions and invited Galatasaray to submit their own. But there’s no balance; they backed out! They won’t even conduct their own review. For example, in the Galatasaray-Beşiktaş match alone, were eight yellow cards missed? Didn’t Davinson Sánchez escape three yellow cards in the first half alone? Every referee panel agreed on these issues. In the second half, he continued the same.”

“A REFEREE-DRIVEN AGENDA”

“They know, of course. Why else would they back out of their own proposal? The system works like this: create a narrative, dismiss counterclaims as lies, and vanish when called out. After all, can those who protest two mistakes in a match ever survive an impartial review? The referee-led operations during matches are part of a larger agenda.”

“WE SEEK FAIRNESS, NOT PRIVILEGE”

“Do we agree that the Trabzonspor-Fenerbahçe match was plagued by major errors? Yet, Galatasaray’s spokesperson calls the same game a massacre against Trabzonspor without acknowledging the fabricated penalty awarded against us. I openly stated after the match that Becao’s foul was a penalty. But the narrative is twisted to suggest the game was 1-1 at that point, which is false—it was 1-0. We are asking for justice, not special treatment. When have Galatasaray officials ever admitted their own errors, such as the Eyüpspor game? Did they acknowledge Eyüpspor’s denied penalty and missed red card? No. This is a pattern of disrespect.”

“THE THEATER IS OVER”

“They claimed to have VAR recordings, but nothing was released. Erden Timur promised full disclosure after the season, but nothing came. It’s a recurring tactic: announce, disappear, and deflect. This charade is over. We won’t participate in their theater.”

“THE STRUCTURE REVEALED”

“Remember last season when Galatasaray supported the TFF? But as soon as the points gap shrank—Fenerbahçe at 70, Galatasaray at 69—they demanded the immediate resignation of TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi, calling him the worst president in history. Why? Because the standings shifted. When Galatasaray led 90-86, they resumed their support for the same TFF. This is the ‘structure’ we’re talking about—threats, manipulation, and selective outrage.”

“FABRICATED OPERATIONS”

“In matches where Fenerbahçe was allegedly ‘favored,’ our players like Oosterwolde were fouled in the box, and it wasn’t called. Even VAR failed to intervene, though 10 out of 10 referees agree it was a penalty. Meanwhile, in a Kasımpaşa match, a Galatasaray official claimed to have ‘felt’ the referee’s decision. Their narrative is built on emotion and manipulation, not fairness.”

This detailed statement highlights alleged discrepancies in referee decisions and challenges the integrity of narratives pushed by Fenerbahçe’s rivals.

DEMAND FOR FOREIGN REFEREES!

“I said foreign referees, yes. The TFF President and I have different views on this, he says, ‘I made this decision.’ After all, he’s the president of something, we respect that. What’s important to us is the intention; there is no malice in his intention. He says, ‘I will end these silly mistakes,’ he says, ‘I have dedicated myself to this issue,’ and we respect that.

My opinion is that the foreign VAR should come. It’s just my opinion. If he says ‘I will solve it,’ I respect that. My respect for the TFF is because they are struggling and fighting for justice to come. We have no doubts about his intentions. Since the other side does not want justice, privilege is over, and the time for panic has started.”

‘HOW WILL THEY PLAY THIS MATCH?’

“Then they say, ‘Galatasaray has received fewer yellow cards in Europe, we have received more.’ Just look at the matches we played, and look at the ones they played. Galatasaray has received 5 red cards in 87 matches in Turkey. This is a statistic. During this period, Galatasaray played 21 matches in Europe. The number of red cards they received in Europe is 4. Fenerbahçe received 12 red cards in 87 matches in Turkey, while Galatasaray received 5, and Fenerbahçe received 12.

Think about the red cards this way: Normally, Davinson wouldn’t have been in Sivas, and Fred got suspended for the Galatasaray match. Fenerbahçe has received 1 red card in 39 European matches, while Galatasaray has received 4 red cards in 21 matches in Europe. You know, in the past, when there was a mistake against Galatasaray, and they couldn’t play for 3 months, how would they go into that match psychologically?”

‘I CAME TO RESPOND’

“Mr. President Özbek, you came here, and as usual, you don’t want to use the name of our opponent, don’t make inferences, just say it directly. Our opponent is like this, their vice-presidents are like that, their president is like this. I came here to exercise my right to reply. I came here to respond to the things that have been said.”

‘CONSTANT PERCEPTION!’

“I don’t know what harm there is in visiting the TFF. They don’t meet with the referees, they don’t corner the MHK (Referee Committee). The TFF is the federation of the clubs. Those who say I’m going from channel to channel, did they not do the same thing? Fenerbahçe set up camp there, and now they are supposedly influencing the TFF—can such a thing happen?

People tend to think everyone thinks like them. Our managers go there from time to time, and there is nothing more normal than that. Why didn’t you ask the president about the Thursday-Sunday issue? They made a huge deal out of it. Didn’t they create a whole perception, didn’t the whole place shake with the Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday? When they checked, the teams were the same. It’s a continuous perception. Didn’t they look at the whole picture? Wasn’t it equal?”

‘6 DAYS OF REST’

“Do you want justice or privilege? If you want justice, equality is on the scale. There was also a proposal to play on Tuesday. They’ll rest for about 6 days. You’re causing a commotion, saying, ‘Let me play on Tuesday,’ as if you’ve gone mad. What happened? Right now, it’s equal!”

‘GALATASARAY’S MANAGERS CAN GO CRAZY AS MUCH AS THEY WANT’

“Did you give the TFF a deadline? Did you refuse them? These things don’t seem right to me. They are saying ‘we will fix it.’ The TFF has a statement about delegating the referees to the clubs. The president does not want to have problems with the referees; he wants to professionalize that area. There’s always an effort to do something. Right now, they do not want to favor Galatasaray, which is correct. Galatasaray’s managers can go crazy as much as they want.”

‘FENERBAHÇE IS BEING PULLED DOWN’

“Galatasaray will be champions 10 times in 10 years; we’ll believe that there’s a system like that. It seems very meaningless and silly to me. They are creating perceptions like the Zorlu season, the tough season, this season, non-stop, Fenerbahçe is somehow being pulled down, and then we’re all brothers. This is a movie, this is a play! When there’s a 4-point difference, they become friends; when the points are the same, chaos begins.”

‘IS EVERYTHING FAIR GAME?’

“Is there a question about how Galatasaray’s players’ normal salaries are shown less than what they earn? We have a president who spends his fortune on Fenerbahçe, and we support him as much as we can, while on the other side, they show the football player’s salary as less, open space in the limit, go get a player from there, gain tax advantages. Stick an illegal betting site’s logo on your back and go out to play.

You know the saying, the thing’s thing. He said, ‘We took half of his money.’ He said Fenerbahçe has one, too. No, it’s not like that; it’s like this, you said. Then you signed a sponsorship deal with the same company.”