Ali Koç at HUDEFER Event: “Fenerbahçe Faces an Unsolved Mystery in Football”

Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç made statements at the invitation of the Association of Fenerbahçe Supporters in Law (HUDEFER).

“We are all chasing football, but it depends on how you look at the glass. How can it be that a club competes at the highest level in every branch, sometimes sends the most athletes to the Olympics, sometimes wins championships in Europe, sometimes breaks world records, and, as we saw a few days ago, wins one gold and three silver medals at the World Championship with four of our girls, yet somehow luck never favors us in football? Ask yourself this question when you go to bed at night. Boards come and go, they achieve success in every field, but somehow, when it comes to football, things get stuck. Or, we can also look at the glass from another angle. How is it that a team fails in every other area but, when it comes to football, especially during certain periods, it can be incredibly successful? How can the executives who achieve that success in football fail to do so in other areas? This is one of the things I want you to think about.”

“For example, in football, where we say it doesn’t happen, if you look at the last 10 years, Fenerbahçe is second by just one or two points. Look at the last five years, we are ahead by three points. The other teams listed on that table have championships, yet Fenerbahçe has none. Think about that math in your head as well.”

“For those who don’t know, let me say this: if there is a match, there is always a legal issue arising. Either something with the fans or a problem at the gates. Beyond that, our club has many other matters. There is July 3rd, and we are still chasing after April 4th. We believe that Turkish justice will, sooner or later, grant Fenerbahçe its rightful due on both issues. You have a major responsibility to make this happen. Not only during the Republican era, but even in the Ottoman era, we were always powerful. We have always been a strong state according to the conditions of the times. We have done many things that even today’s so-called modern countries haven’t done. In such a country, for April 4th to still remain unsolved is unacceptable not only for any Fenerbahçe supporter but also for any citizen of the Republic of Turkey.”

“My grandfather used to say something that he told us since we were kids, and as I grew older, I understood it better: ‘Thank God, He has given us the most beautiful country in the world, let us appreciate it,’ he used to say. In tough times, he would add, ‘We are not appreciating it enough,’ but he always said, ‘Thanks to my Lord, He has given us the most beautiful country in the world.’ No matter what kind of era we are in, as we grow older, we understand better how true his words were. Let’s value it, but Fenerbahçe also knows very well how to value this Republic and this land. Fenerbahçe will never stray from its values, principles, or the path it believes in, just for sporting success or a competitive advantage. As your current president, I especially want this to be known.”