Former Fenerbahçe head coach Aykut Kocaman commented on Adana Demirspor‘s decision to walk off the pitch during their match against Galatasaray.

“Things Are Heading in an Abnormal Direction”

Speaking to HT Spor, Kocaman said:

“Football has reached such an environment now… With social media becoming more dominant and influential, after a match, even if you see the sea and say ‘it’s blue,’ people will react—‘How can you say it’s blue?’ If you call a tree green, even when stating something you believe to be true, it leads to controversy. Things are heading in an abnormal direction.”

“A Continuation of July 3”

Kocaman linked the current chaos in Turkish football to the July 3, 2011 match-fixing allegations against Fenerbahçe, stating:

“What we’re witnessing is a continuation of July 3. It’s impossible to separate today’s events from what started in 2011. The road to this point was paved back then. Who lost what? Who gained what? Everything is clear. Fenerbahçe’s complaints and reactions are based on solid grounds.”

“Mourinho Loves These Battles”

Commenting on Jose Mourinho’s statements, Kocaman said:

“Jose Mourinho enjoys engaging in psychological battles. Is he a good fit for this environment? Well, unfortunately, the head coach of Fenerbahçe has to be involved in these battles as well… Unfortunately.”

Editors note:

What Happened on July 3, 2011?

Prosecutors—many of whom are now either imprisoned for being members of a terrorist organization or have fled abroad—fabricated a match-fixing scandal to frame Fenerbahçe, the most successful club in Turkish football. As a result, Fenerbahçe’s president and several executives were jailed.

At that time, Galatasaray had finished the league in 8th place, was financially bankrupt, and in complete disarray as a club.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe was regarded as one of the strongest teams in Europe and had become one of the financially most powerful clubs in the world.

Through the orchestrated match-fixing plot against Fenerbahçe, the club was dragged down, while struggling Galatasaray was lifted up.

Years later, Turkish courts proved that Fenerbahçe was innocent and had been the victim of a conspiracy based on falsified evidence.

Many of the prosecutors involved in this scheme were imprisoned, while others fled abroad. Members of this same organization attempted a coup against the Turkish government on July 15, 2016. When the coup failed, many of them were arrested, while others escaped the country.