To move past Fenerbahce’s mediocre, even poor performance against Union Saint-Gilloise, one must first address the derby loss. Negative results in derbies go beyond just losing… They affect everyone, from factory worker Ahmet to clerk Ayse, from student Zeynep to soldier Mehmet. It burdens, frustrates, wounds the heart, and brings sadness… It can make the day, week, or even month unbearable… But the worst part is the negative impact on the players fighting on the field, in the arena of green grass.
This is exactly what we saw in the Fenerbahce- Union Saint-Gilloise match! Fenerbace players performed as if they weren’t part of Fenerbahce, as if they weren’t professionals, as if there weren’t millions behind them, as if they didn’t have one of the greatest coaches in the world leading them.
A group of players lacking fight, deprived of initiative, suffering from erosion of self-confidence, and lagging behind their opponents in almost every area… Without discussing the types of shots taken, crosses made, or tackles executed, there was one player who rebelled: Sofyan Amrabat.
Yes; Rodrigo Becao, Çağlar Soyuncu? and Jayden Oosterwolde made good defensive plays, and even though Dominik Livakovic was a target for criticism, he saved the shots on goal. However, we didn’t see a team, we didn’t see an organization; there were only a few individuals rebelling on the field… Leading them was Sofyan Amrabat, who joined the team on the last day of the transfer window.
We saw a player who stood up without getting caught up in statistics, took responsibility, and fully fulfilled the requirements of his position. He defended well, initiated play from the back, took the right positions, controlled the space excellently, stole the ball, led in the midfield, and most importantly, took responsibility. He played the most fundamental role in Fenerbahce starting the Europa League with 3 points.
