TFF President Haciosmanoglu’s Statement on Illegal Broadcasting

TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu and Clubs Union President Ali Koc made statements during the signing ceremony for a sponsorship agreement with Nesine.

Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu’s remarks are as follows:

HACIOSMANOĞLU: “OUR GOAL IS TO PREVENT ILLEGAL BROADCASTING”

“Illegal broadcasting affects the revenue from broadcasting, which is the biggest income for football. Since the moment we were elected, we have been working seriously on this. Our goal is to completely eliminate illegal broadcasting.”

“In football, of course success is important. But ethical success is more important than anything else. When one team becomes champion, you cannot raise the brand value in an environment where other teams are considered failures. We want to instill this awareness in Turkish football. We will compete on the field. Outside the field, there is a common ground, and we are part of that.”

“As a federation, we are on the management side. The clubs are the ones who run football. The responsibility to raise the brand value lies with the club presidents. If we instill this mentality in Turkish football, we will elevate the brand value to where it deserves to be. As our sponsors increase, their contributions will grow. We will have a better chance to serve Turkish football. We will raise the brand value of football together with the football family.”

“I CONDEMN THE ATTACK ON SERHAT AKIN”

“We want football to serve peace and brotherhood. We are against all forms of violence. I once again condemn the attack on Serhat Akın. During our term, there will be no unknown points to the public in the Turkish Football Federation.”

“We took over football in a traumatized state. It is never simply black or white. We need time. Of course, we have young, bright brothers. We have young referees whom we will train as soon as possible. There will be minor glitches during this period. But our goal is to minimize mistakes both on and off the field. We have serious work underway and we will share it. We requested help from the UEFA president in this regard. We asked for a fixed coordinator to stay here from them, and they have appointed one. We have young, bright friends who we will raise ethically. When they step on the field, we have brave friends who will apply without making distinctions of color or strength. Our goal is to minimize errors. If you stand behind the referees in a way that instills confidence, they will represent you that way on the field. There is a proverb that says, ‘A fish rots from the head.’ We will ensure the head of our fish is strong, and we will develop and nurture its components. Together, we will eliminate these issues. Together, we will see more beautiful days and quality referees.”

“WE WILL CHANGE THIS SYSTEM”

“We will change this system. It is not a system passed down from father to son, from uncle to grandchild; we will raise talented children. We will eliminate the complaints of clubs in this regard. When you do not ensure fairness on the field, you cannot raise the brand value of football anywhere. We will do everything we can to ensure sporting successes are achieved on the field. No one should have any concerns.”

Ali Koc’s remarks are as follows:

“TURKISH FOOTBALL ECONOMY HAS BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE”

“When you look at football, I will say this many times. We, as club executives, are volunteers here. We are making sacrifices to bring the clubs to a better place. Is our report card very good? No, it is not. But the ordinary suspects are definitely not the executives. If you look at what Turkish football has experienced economically over the last five years, none of these issues are indexed to the clubs. You can call it wrong or unnecessary transfers, but the drop in broadcasting revenues from 500 million to 96 million dollars, the increase in taxes from 15 to 40, the current state of the exchange rate, and the pandemic are all situations beyond the control of the clubs. These factors have made the Turkish football economy unsustainable.”

“AN UNSUSTAINABLE ECONOMY IS MORE VULNERABLE TO EXTERNAL FACTORS”

“An unsustainable economy is much more open to external influences. One of these is the serious advancement of the illegal betting sector. We have agreed to create a five-year roadmap. Sponsors are also very important in this. We must create an environment for sponsors where they will gladly join. There should be no trouble.”

“AS THE BRAND VALUE INCREASES, SPONSORS WILL COME”

“Both in our league and in UEFA, the economy needs to be solid and sustainable for the permanent, sustainable successes that reflect our potential. We need to establish this climate. As the brand value increases, sponsors will also come.”

“Our president said it. I have seen this in the European Club Association meetings for the past five years. There is an incredible competition on the field, and everyone is united outside the field. I wish it were the same in our country as well. Hopefully, we will see those days too.”