One day after the bizarre Supercup in Turkey, Fenerbahce defended itself in a long statement. The fight against the “unjust soccer system in Turkey” has been going on for two decades
Turkish soccer just can’t catch a break. The Super Cup final against rivals Galatasaray on Sunday, which was abandoned by Fenerbahce after just one minute, also made waves internationally.
The following day, the club issued a three-page statement that began with the words: “Fenerbahce has been fighting against the unjust soccer system in Turkey for 20 years.” The traditional club is using “sporting and legal means”.
Fener does not believe it is a coincidence that three times in the last seven seasons the championship has only been lost at the end of the season. In particular, the match against Denizlispor in May 2006, which was interrupted several times, still haunts the club almost 18 years later.
In addition, the club was “falsely accused of match-fixing by a state-infiltrated terrorist organization in the 2010/11 season and had to answer for it in court”. This legal battle lasted ten years before Fenerbahce’s innocence was confirmed.
The reigning Turkish cup winners suffered “considerable economic losses and a halving of the club’s value”, with Fener’s statement referring to a “set trap”. The fact that the Turkish Football Association withdrew the club’s right to participate in the Champions League for two seasons “without waiting for the outcome of the court proceedings” is still a source of incomprehension.
“We emphasize that we did not come here to win “
Almost nine years ago to the day, there was also an “unprecedented incident in the history of world soccer” when Fenerbahce’s team bus was shot at. It is telling that even in 2024, no perpetrators are known.
The most recent events have now been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Fenerbahce cites the storming of the pitch at the Trabzon game, which led to an extraordinary general meeting with a record attendance of 23,000 fans.
A resolution was passed to postpone the Super Cup final again due to the approaching Conference League quarter-finals and to appoint a foreign referee. Fenerbahce threatened to send their own U19s if the Turkish FA did not comply with these demands.
This is what ultimately happened on Sunday – including abandonment in the second minute of the match. “We emphasize that we did not come here to win, but to defend the truth, and on this historic day for Turkish soccer, we want to underline our stance,” wrote Fenerbahce
As the “biggest sports club in the world with 30 million fans”, the club felt obliged to take a stand “against lawlessness and injustice”. And they want to continue this fight
