Dursun Özbek: ‘The national team needs morale’

Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek said, ‘Those who manage the national team are currently being criticized. Let’s not do that. Because our national team will play a very important match with the Czech Republic on Wednesday and they need morale. Therefore, I think we should wait for the result of the Czech Republic match.’ Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek visited the Kuşadası district of Aydın to attend a meeting organized by the Kuşadası Galatasaray Supporters Association with Kuşadası District Governor İbrahim Keklik and Mayor Ömer Günel. Prior to the meeting, yellow-red supporters showed great interest in Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek. In the event where young fans lined up to get their jerseys signed, Özbek answered the questions of the association members and Galatasaray fans. ‘We will protect the backbone of the team and make pinpoint transfers,’ said Dursun Özbek, commenting on the external transfer policy of the yellow-red team. ‘We will have a meeting on Thursday regarding the issue. We have some deficiencies. Especially, we are considering transfers in positions 2, 8, and 10. We are also negotiating with local players for wing transfers. Due to restrictions on foreign transfers, we also have players that need to be sold. It will be a challenging year in terms of transfers. The continuation of the European Cup also slowed down the transfers. Everyone is planning to make transfers based on the players’ performances in the tournament. We are continuing our contacts. We will protect the backbone of the team and make pinpoint transfers without disrupting the team’s structure. By making reinforcements without breaking the team’s backbone, we will be champions again next year,’ he said. ‘We should wait for the result,’ said Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek, referring to the last match of the group that the national team will play against the Czech Republic on Wednesday at the 2024 European Championship. ‘Those who manage the national team are currently being criticized. Let’s not do that. Because our national team will play a very important match with the Czech Republic and they need morale. Therefore, I think we should wait for the result. I wish all our players who play in the national team success. They need to be in high spirits to make us proud. Hopefully, I think we will achieve a successful result in the Czech Republic match and advance to the next round,’ he said. Reminding that he promised to correct the team’s financial structure when he was elected at Galatasaray, Özbek said, ‘6 years ago, I said, ‘Let’s get rid of the debt burden, achieve a sustainable financial structure, and then sustainable sporting success will come.’ In this sense, we will have left the Banks Association in the next few months, and Galatasaray’s financial structure will become excellent. Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç has started saying what I have been saying for 6 years today. That’s the difference between us.’