Ertugrul Saglam: The main issue was Tolga’s red card!

In the 10th week of the Trendyol 1. Lig, Kocaelispor lost 4-2 away against MKE Ankaragucu. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kocaelispor head coach Saglam said, “It was an enjoyable match to watch. I say this unwillingly. It was a good game. After a poor start, we found our balance. Unfortunately, a defensive mistake and a misunderstanding put us behind. I made two changes at the beginning of the second half, one due to necessity and the other based on my own initiative. We gained control of the game, started playing well, and found a goal. However, I must say, the last two goals we conceded were not worthy of a team like ours. We were in control, but we conceded a very simple goal because of a delay in pressing and issues with defensive positioning. We had chances afterward, but I have to mention, we are a team that didn’t concede in the last four games. Unfortunately, we allowed opportunities in this match that we hadn’t given up in those last four. It’s our job to fix this and overcome the situation,” he said.

Commenting on the situation where Kocaeli fans expected a red card, Saglam added, “The main issue was Tolga’s red card. I think there was a problem with the VAR referee who didn’t give the red card to Tolga. There was a foul, and more than just a foul, it should have been a straight red card. At 2-2, not giving the card leaves nothing more to say.”