Fenerbahçe president Ali Koç isn’t waiting for the final whistle in his own election campaign. He’s hitting pause to confront the Turkish Football Federation head-on. A fiery 2-2 draw against Alanyaspor, managed by João Pereira, has ignited a fresh wave of outrage. This match, only the second for Domenico Tedesco – the replacement for José Mourinho – at the helm of the ‘Fene,’ left Koç fuming about the refereeing. He didn’t just criticize the calls; he accused federation officials of meddling directly in the club’s upcoming elections.
Speaking to the Turkish press, Koç pulled no punches. “We discussed this in detail,” he stated, “the team talked about it in the locker room too.” He chose to keep some details quiet, with the club election looming this Sunday. But his main message was crystal clear: “This is a pre-election operation.” Koç scoffed at notions of “digital appointments,” saying, “Don’t let anyone tell you stories about that. Everyone at the federation knows there’s no such thing!” He pointed to the deliberate choice of a specific referee for the game. Someone, he implied, who should have been the last person assigned. This official was even “so brazen” as to participate in a training program carrying the ‘Galatasaray’ surname. Koç felt something like this was expected after the previous Sunday’s game, right before an election. “This is an operation against our elections!” he declared. “It’s not just about these referees.”
Despite the drama, Koç promised victory. “We will be champions one way or another,” he vowed. He admitted Fenerbahçe didn’t play their best that day. “Did we play very well today? No! Did we deserve the draw? Absolutely not.” The team missed a penalty kick. They also conceded a “ridiculous goal,” an unfortunate turn for the goalkeeper at the worst possible time. Koç acknowledged such mistakes happen, but argued they don’t excuse the officials. “It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it happened with a 3-0, 5-0, or 4-1 score,” he explained. “But that doesn’t mean the VAR didn’t signal a penalty, or the referee didn’t call the penalty, and the VAR didn’t see it.” He concluded bluntly: “These guys came here for a mission and fulfilled their duty.” Koç then made a personal pledge. “As long as I live, whether I’m president or not, I will pursue Mr. Ferhat Gündogdu [the referee] until it is revealed who he is, what he represents, and which entity he serves. I want him to know that.”
Koç believes there’s a wider plot against his club. He described it as a kind of cabal. “Last week, a classic was played here,” he recalled. “They denied us a goal when the ball clearly crossed the line.” He also pointed to a VAR decision, which issued a red card that the field referee hadn’t initially given. Even their opponents, he noted, claimed it was a goal for Fenerbahçe.
These aren’t random complaints, Koç insisted. “Believe me,” he stated, “these early season situations are among the main factors that determine the final standings.” He saw the current situation as an act of “vengeance.” Sending biased referees to manipulate elections, or to make it look like they did Fenerbahçe a favor by pressuring them last Sunday, was unacceptable. “That’s how the media creates this atmosphere,” he said. “So we’re going to do the exact opposite this time.” Koç finished by questioning the very integrity of Turkish football’s leadership, where hundreds of millions of euros are spent.