Forum Discussion

buruma1's avatar
buruma1
Seasoned Newcomer
1 day ago

Add turkish icons and heroes

Due to celebrating Galatasaray's historic UEFA Cup victory in 2000, as a football fan and Fc Mobile player i appreciate that you are highlighting one of the greatest achievements in Turkish football history.  However,  I am disappointed to focus almost exclusively on Gheorghe Hagi from that legendary team. 

While Hagi was undoubtedly one of the most important players, Galatasaray's UEFA Cup-winning squad included several Turkish players who were crucial to that success. Players such as Bülent Korkmaz, Hakan Şükür, Okan Buruk, Emre Belözoğlu, Suat Kaya and Hasan Şaş were key figures in both Galatasaray's European triumph and the success of the Turkish national team during that era.

It is also important to remember that the Turkish league had strict foreign-player limits at the time, allowing only six non-Turkish players. As a result, Turkish players carried much of the responsibility for their clubs' success. This was not a period in which foreign stars dominated while local players played supporting roles.

Furthermore, Turkey finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, only two years after Galatasaray's UEFA Cup victory. Many of the players who formed the backbone of that national team came from Galatasaray and were part of the same generation that achieved success in Europe. This demonstrates the quality of Turkish players during that period and suggests that their contributions are often overlooked or underestimated when discussing Galatasaray's achievements.

I hope future events and player selections related to this historic team will better reflect the balance between the international stars and the Turkish players who were equally essential to one of the greatest accomplishments in Turkish football history.

1 Reply

  • You need to remember that when it comes to retired players, more often than not, it comes down to the rights and legal aspects of some of the players not being there. Hagi and Sneijder are already icons/heroes in the game, the Turkish players you mentioned are not.