After a controversial 3-0 defeat to Portugal on Saturday, Turkey’s national football team faced criticism over its lineup decisions, which some suggest may be part of a broader scheme to inflate player transfer fees.
Head Coach Vincenzo Montella’s choices, including benching young talents Kenan Yıldız and Arda Güler, drew ire from fans and commentators alike.
Portugal’s Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a precise finish, followed by a bizarre own goal by Turkey’s Samet Akaydın seven minutes later. Cristiano Ronaldo assisted Bruno Fernandes for Portugal’s third goal, securing their spot in the Round of 16 at EURO 2024.
Montella made several changes to the lineup from Turkey’s victorious opener against Georgia, citing fitness concerns. The decision sparked controversy, especially given the exclusion of Juventus’s Kenan Yıldız and Real Madrid’s Arda Güler, who were both left on the bench.
The second goal of the match raised eyebrows as Akaydın’s back-pass found the net after a miscommunication with goalkeeper Altay Bayındır. Portugal’s final goal came from a play by Ronaldo that allowed Fernandes to tap into an empty net.
Following the match, Montella defended his choices, saying, “Kenan and Arda are excellent players, but Arda was not fit to play more than 30 minutes. We decided to bring him on in the final stages to avoid risking his health.”
However, Montella’s explanation did little to quell the dissatisfaction. Fans at the Dortmund stadium vocally supported Arda Güler, chanting his name from the 35th minute. Social media exploded with criticism, using the hashtag #EvladınaSahipÇıkTürkiye (Protect Your Child, Turkey), leading to over 80,000 posts.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) released a statement attempting to clarify the situation, claiming Arda’s exclusion was due to a mutual decision to manage his groin pain. The TFF urged the public not to draw conclusions from the viral video of Montella removing Arda’s training vest and giving it to Yusuf Yazıcı.
In the aftermath former Turkish star Hakan Şükür released a video criticizing the national team’s management and hinting at deeper issues within Turkish football.
Investigative journalist Cevheri Güven previously exposed such practices in a YouTube video, revealing how underperforming players receive caps to boost their transfer values.
In association football, a cap is awarded to a player making an official appearance for their national team.
He suggested that favoritism and corruption are at play, potentially inflating the market value of players by giving them unwarranted international appearances.
Güven pointed to examples like Erol Erdal Alkan, a player who, despite limited performance in the Dutch second division, was called up to the national team due to his agent’s influence.
According to Güven, Turkish football is plagued by corruption, and many clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy because managers have fraudulently signed contracts with underperforming players for large sums of money to be shared out among those involved.
Turkish law does not allow private ownership of football clubs, which observers say leads to what can be described as a “ tragedy of the commons” as executives seek to line their pockets through fraudulent means rather than making a genuine contribution to the club.
As Turkey braces for its crucial match against Czechia on Wednesday, the debate over Montella’s strategies and the integrity of Turkish football management continues to rage. The team must secure at least a draw to advance to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams. With tensions high and scrutiny intense, the pressure is on Montella and his squad to deliver a decisive performance.