 Turkish international winger Colin Kazım-Richards poses for photographers for the first time in his new team, Galatasaray's, jersey. The Istanbul team's fans are unhappy about the transfer. |
Galatasaray fans lashed out Wednesday in protest against the Turkish football club’s purchase of Colin Kazım-Richards from archrival Fenerbahçe.
The troubled Istanbul team signed the English-born Turkish Cypriot late Tuesday, but the deal hardly came as a bargain for the Galatasaray faithful.
Galatasaray’s influential fan group Ultraslan released a statement on Wednesday criticizing the club’s transfer move for the attacker.
“[Kazım] is known for his questionable behavior, bad image and lifestyle, as well as seeing red cards very frequently, and the fact that our coach Gheorghe Hagi wanted his transfer hurts our positive feelings toward the coach,” the statement said.
“It is difficult to understand why the Galatasaray board went for the Kazım transfer after fining captain Arda Turan and warning internationally acclaimed players Zvjezdan Misimovic, Jo and Abdel Kader Keita for unprofessional behavior.”
During his time at Fenerbahçe, Kazım was suspended several times by the board and his coaches.
He was first left out of the squad and leant to French club Toulouse after being seen at a night club following his team’s league defeat to Kasımpaşa in 2009.
After being appointed head coach last summer, Aykut Kocaman said that winning Kazım back was one of his priorities, but the winger completely fell out of favor after being sent off during a Champions League preliminary game against the Young Boys. Fenerbahçe coach Kocaman called Richards’ red card “nonsense” and left him out of the squad.
Unlike his new team’s supporters, Kazım was happy with the transfer, he said after joining the club’s training camp in Antalya.
“It is like a dream to me because I know I’ve come to an important club,” Kazım said to Galatasaray TV, the club’s official broadcaster, hours after the deal was announced on the club’s website.
“They purchased me with great expectations, and I will live up to them in the best way I can.”
The winger also said that he is over his rough times and is ready to open a new chapter in his career, just as the club is doing so.
“What I am concentrating on is what I can do with the Galatasaray jersey on,” he said. “It is a new chapter for me. And it is a new chapter for Galatasaray. The team is moving on to a new and very beautiful stadium. It will be great for me and my team.”
Galatasaray finished the first part of the Spor Toto Super League season in a disappointing ninth spot, 19 points behind leader Trabzonspor.
“Galatasaray does not deserve the place it is in right now,” Kazım said. “It will definitely get better with my help.”
The Kazım move was not the only controversial transfer by Galatasaray, as the team is close to acquiring the services of veteran striker Necati Ateş from Medical Park Antalyaspor as part of a deal that saw winger Serdar Özkan and defender Ali Turan go in the opposite direction.
A former Galatasaray player, Necati was loaned out to three different clubs from 2007 to 2009, when he was released to Antalyaspor as a free agent.
Serdar and Ali were brought to the team during last summer’s transfer window but the performances of both players were largely disappointing.
Meanwhile, Beşiktaş, the most active Turkish club in the transfer window, announced the sale of Czech defender Tomas Zapotocny to Sparta Prague on a three-and-a-half year contract.
Zapotocny, who has played four international games for Czech Republic, said on his new club’s website, "To play for Sparta is a dream come true."
Zapotocny played a part in Bursaspor’s Super League title in 2010 when he was playing on loan, but he was deemed surplus to requirements at Beşiktaş.
The Black Eagles are trying to offload some of their foreign players, with new players and Portuguese stars Hugo Almeida, Simao Sabrosa and Manuel Fernandes signed earlier this week.
According to Super League regulations, a team can have 10 foreign players, but only field six of them at the same time. Beşiktaş now has 13 players, with Italian defender Matteo Ferrari, Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Tabata and German player Michael Fink expected to be sent off soon. The three players were not included in Beşiktaş’s mid-season training camp in Antalya.
The troubled Istanbul team signed the English-born Turkish Cypriot late Tuesday, but the deal hardly came as a bargain for the Galatasaray faithful.
Galatasaray’s influential fan group Ultraslan released a statement on Wednesday criticizing the club’s transfer move for the attacker.
“[Kazım] is known for his questionable behavior, bad image and lifestyle, as well as seeing red cards very frequently, and the fact that our coach Gheorghe Hagi wanted his transfer hurts our positive feelings toward the coach,” the statement said.
“It is difficult to understand why the Galatasaray board went for the Kazım transfer after fining captain Arda Turan and warning internationally acclaimed players Zvjezdan Misimovic, Jo and Abdel Kader Keita for unprofessional behavior.”
During his time at Fenerbahçe, Kazım was suspended several times by the board and his coaches.
He was first left out of the squad and leant to French club Toulouse after being seen at a night club following his team’s league defeat to Kasımpaşa in 2009.
After being appointed head coach last summer, Aykut Kocaman said that winning Kazım back was one of his priorities, but the winger completely fell out of favor after being sent off during a Champions League preliminary game against the Young Boys. Fenerbahçe coach Kocaman called Richards’ red card “nonsense” and left him out of the squad.
Unlike his new team’s supporters, Kazım was happy with the transfer, he said after joining the club’s training camp in Antalya.
“It is like a dream to me because I know I’ve come to an important club,” Kazım said to Galatasaray TV, the club’s official broadcaster, hours after the deal was announced on the club’s website.
“They purchased me with great expectations, and I will live up to them in the best way I can.”
The winger also said that he is over his rough times and is ready to open a new chapter in his career, just as the club is doing so.
“What I am concentrating on is what I can do with the Galatasaray jersey on,” he said. “It is a new chapter for me. And it is a new chapter for Galatasaray. The team is moving on to a new and very beautiful stadium. It will be great for me and my team.”
Galatasaray finished the first part of the Spor Toto Super League season in a disappointing ninth spot, 19 points behind leader Trabzonspor.
“Galatasaray does not deserve the place it is in right now,” Kazım said. “It will definitely get better with my help.”
The Kazım move was not the only controversial transfer by Galatasaray, as the team is close to acquiring the services of veteran striker Necati Ateş from Medical Park Antalyaspor as part of a deal that saw winger Serdar Özkan and defender Ali Turan go in the opposite direction.
A former Galatasaray player, Necati was loaned out to three different clubs from 2007 to 2009, when he was released to Antalyaspor as a free agent.
Serdar and Ali were brought to the team during last summer’s transfer window but the performances of both players were largely disappointing.
Meanwhile, Beşiktaş, the most active Turkish club in the transfer window, announced the sale of Czech defender Tomas Zapotocny to Sparta Prague on a three-and-a-half year contract.
Zapotocny, who has played four international games for Czech Republic, said on his new club’s website, "To play for Sparta is a dream come true."
Zapotocny played a part in Bursaspor’s Super League title in 2010 when he was playing on loan, but he was deemed surplus to requirements at Beşiktaş.
The Black Eagles are trying to offload some of their foreign players, with new players and Portuguese stars Hugo Almeida, Simao Sabrosa and Manuel Fernandes signed earlier this week.
According to Super League regulations, a team can have 10 foreign players, but only field six of them at the same time. Beşiktaş now has 13 players, with Italian defender Matteo Ferrari, Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Tabata and German player Michael Fink expected to be sent off soon. The three players were not included in Beşiktaş’s mid-season training camp in Antalya.
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