Ali Koç’s Bold Statements at Fenerbahçe’s High Council Meeting!
Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç took aim at arch-rival Galatasaray during his speech at the High Council Meeting. He claimed that Galatasaray offered €2 million more for Talisca and also attempted to sign Milan Skriniar, stating, "They shouldn't bother denying it."
Speaking at the High Council Meeting of the Yellow-Navy Blue club, Koç addressed the club’s mid-season transfers, emphasizing that Galatasaray also pursued Anderson Talisca and Milan Skriniar.
Here are Ali Koç’s key statements from the meeting at Faruk Ilgaz Facilities:
“I Support Continuing with Our Coach”
“We are doing well in every aspect, thank God. We are progressing steadily toward our pre-season goals. We had a good transfer window. Our coach has been criticized at times for speaking the truth boldly. I fully support continuing with him. We need to be patient now. We told him, ‘Management may leave, but the coach stays.’ We have fulfilled our promise to the fans by building a quality squad. For every position we targeted, we signed either our first or second priority.”
“Galatasaray Offered €2 Million More for Talisca”
“We had an agreement with Talisca in January, but due to a management change at his club, we had to restart the process. After the Skriniar transfer, Galatasaray stepped in and offered €2 million more for Talisca, but both he and his agent honored their word. They shouldn’t deny it.”
“Aziz Yıldırım Strongly Wanted Skriniar”
“There were widespread reports about which Turkish club Skriniar would join. During a dinner with our former president Aziz Yıldırım, he specifically told us, ‘Make sure you don’t miss out on Skriniar.’ Skriniar initially wanted to explore other options, but he stated that if he came to Turkey, it would be for Fenerbahçe. After three weeks of consideration, he chose us. Galatasaray was also interested in him, so they shouldn’t claim otherwise.”
“We Will Benefit from Mimovic Next Season”
“Mimovic is an investment for the future. Some may question why we signed a 15th player when we already had 14, but we didn’t want to miss this opportunity. There was a chance that Maximin could move to Napoli, but it didn’t happen—thankfully, as we need him. Mimovic has gone to Zenit for six months. Next season, he will be a major asset to us. We made solid, healthy, and slightly expensive, but highly significant transfers for the future.”
“Fenerbahçe Fans Are the Ones Who Call Out Thieves”
“During our match against Rizespor, referee authorities confirmed that all referee decisions were correct, yet we were falsely accused of theft. They still don’t understand. Fenerbahçe is the club that calls out thieves.”
“So, Mertens Will Join Us Next Year?”
“The Adana Demirspor match was interrupted. When Hulusi Belgü tweeted, they caused an uproar. Their loyal journalists jumped in to twist the narrative. Instead of talking about their own fraudulent, cheating players, they tried to frame the situation as if Fenerbahçe orchestrated it. The public, unfortunately, is not alert to these manipulations. Suddenly, we are accused of plotting the whole thing. So, let me ask—was Mertens involved too? Does that mean Mertens will join us next season? Write that down, media members! They are the ones who create chaos and then call for calm.”
“They Want to Pit Fenerbahçe Against Anatolian Clubs”
“We laugh at those trying to create tension between us and Anatolian clubs. Their new strategy is to set Fenerbahçe against Anatolian teams. But Anatolian clubs should know that if Turkish football is to be cleaned up, this fight will benefit everyone.”
“They Accuse TFF of Favoring Us”
“Eyüpspor, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor, Göztepe matches… If referees had officiated these matches correctly, everyone would see who the real leader is. Yet, they accuse the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) of favoring us—just like they do every year. In seven years, the referee committee (MHK) has changed nine times, but justice has never been served.”
“If You’re Confident, Apply for a Foreign Referee in the Derby”
“For three years, Galatasaray has not received a red card in their home games. Yet, in Europe, this season alone, they’ve played 11 matches and received 28 yellow cards and 3 red cards. If you are confident and brave, request a foreign referee for next week’s derby. But when these statistics are exposed, you don’t want one. Under their current coach, in 94 Süper Lig matches, they’ve received 6 red cards, while in 24 European matches, they’ve also had 6 red cards. That’s why they succeed domestically. Our only motto is: No corruption, only hard work. We have nothing to hide.”
“How Do You Sleep at Night?”
“If there’s corruption, let it be uncovered and punished severely. Don’t we know how to take illegal betting sponsorships? I wonder—how do you sleep at night?”
