Ertuğrul Sağlam: “If the result contradicts discipline, I will not forgive.”

Kocaelispor’s head coach Ertuğrul Sağlam commented on the incidents related to the Sakaryaspor match, saying, “If they are even a little bit conscientious, they will reconsider their disciplinary referrals.”

The training session following the Sakaryaspor derby was held today for Kocaelispor, one of the teams in Trendyol 1. Before the training, Körfez Mayor Şener Söğüt met with the players. Söğüt congratulated the entire team for the derby victory.

Ertuğrul Sağlam and the players made evaluations regarding the current situation before the training. Starting his statements by evaluating the Sakaryaspor match played last week, Sağlam said, “Football is not lived in the past. Therefore, we will look ahead. The Sakaryaspor match was only about the 3 points for us. Of course, we knew it had different meanings for the community. We played a very tense match, but we knew we would win if we kept our cool. The provocations against our goalkeepers started early in the match and continued throughout and after the match. The game was stopped many times. A firecracker hit my player’s leg. There was no proper environment to play football. I am very happy that we have charactered players. Despite all this, our players did not heed any provocations and did not respond to them. At the end of the match, I asked the players, ‘Let’s celebrate inside, let’s not stay on the field.’ As we entered, there was an organized attack. Later, we learned that Markao was referred to the disciplinary committee. A person who has not been provoked and plays football with morals is being referred. They attacked Markao, and he was just defending himself. If they are even a little bit conscientious, they will reconsider their decisions. If an opposite outcome occurs, I will not forgive them.”

“Our goal is the Super League”

Stating that they want to keep the team’s morale and motivation high before the upcoming match against Bandırmaspor after the national break, Sağlam said, “Our goal is to rise to the Super League. We have been saying this continuously since the beginning of the season. Our fans will play a significant role in this goal. However, we want support that is free from violence and insults. We want to achieve this success as a community that acts within the framework of fair play, and hopefully, we will.”

Markao: “If I had started the incidents, there would have been more injured”

Markao, the striker at the center of the incidents, stated, “From the moment we stepped onto the field, there was provocation against us. We faced intense pressure from both Sakaryaspor fans and club staff. In fact, I can say that I was not affected at all by the pressure there. Regarding what happened in the tunnel, I had no intention of fighting. As I was heading to the locker room, one person attacked our captain in front of me. Then he tried to attack again, and I wanted to protect my friend. If a family member is attacked, everyone reacts. There were police there, but the attacks did not stop. The claim that I attacked anyone is false; there is not even a video of that. However, ten people tried to attack us there. It is quite funny to say that I started the incident and to make comments through me. If I had started the incidents, there would have been many more injured.”

“He hit me and split my lip”

Experienced right-back Ahmet Oğuz also stated, “To prevent incidents after the match, I gathered my teammates and said, ‘Let’s celebrate inside.’ We did not want a brawl to break out here, but while I was gathering my teammates, Markao entered first. Two people attacked Markao. While trying to separate them, a disrespectful person hit me and split my lip. I had scratch marks on my back. We actually need to give them a good lesson. They will come to our stadium, but let’s not behave like them. Because we are a team that loves to play football. The game was constantly stopped; during the minutes the game allowed us, we always tried to play. I do not want such things; it is 2024. Even in the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe matches, such things no longer happen. It may be an equivalent derby for us, but there is no need for such things because football is beautiful with the fans. Within the framework of respect. In football, there is winning and losing. Today we won, but tomorrow another team can beat us. Our greatest wish is for it to end in friendship.