Besiktas drew 1-1 against Gaziantep FK away in the 8th week of the Trendyol Super Lig, conceding a last-minute goal and suffering a setback in the title race. Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s decision not to play young star candidate Semih Kilicsoy was met with backlash from black-and-white supporters. Former players who won cups while wearing Besiktas jerseys, Recep Cetin, Ekrem Dag, and Ali Tandoğan, gave a special interview to Spor Arena regarding the Dutch coach’s squad choices.
Semih Kilicsoy, who started the first two weeks of the Super Lig with 2 assists and drew attention with his impressive performance, has recently been kept away from the starting eleven. The 19-year-old national player, whose name is associated with European giants, did not get any playing time in the away match against Gaziantep FK. Having played 425 minutes in 10 matches this season, the future of Kilicsoy in the squad is a matter of curiosity, while coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst faced criticism for choosing Ernest Muci, who has been ineffective in that position.
Former stars of Besiktas, Recep Cetin, Ekrem Dag, and Ali Tandoğan, made comments regarding the situation.
RECEP CETIN’S COMMENTS ON SEMIH KILICSOY:
“Semih is not currently a full-fledged big team player. Semih is talented, young, and a promising player who will gain experience as he plays more. He had more chances last year, but he isn’t getting them this year. In fact, unexpected players are playing in the starting eleven while Semih is not. This indicates there is a problem here. Right now, we see players who are worse than Semih playing. This situation is truly upsetting the community. Is there a problem between Semih and the coach? Or is Semih not playing because he has regressed in performance? We are all starting to think about this. That’s why there is a somewhat troubled process. Also, I have never seen a big team play with four center-backs before. The fact that big teams defend like this has unfortunately disappointed me a lot. We had high expectations from the team, but I think those expectations have not been met. Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have a squad structure far above us. Besiktas needs to quickly catch up to the same quality and potential in the squad. This is our only wish. During this process, we must also support our young players.”
“IS ERNEST MUCI A MUCH BETTER PLAYER THAN SEMIH?”
“Last year, Semih started the season as a savior; this year, he has become a Semih who cannot play. I would like to ask Giovanni van Bronckhorst, ‘Is Ernest Muçi a much better player than Semih?’ You keep Muçi on the field for 90 minutes, but he has no impact. I think there is a problem between Semih and the coach. This needs to be studied well. Young players are those who can break easily but can also be regained quickly. Suddenly becoming prominent last year and now being in the background this year must be upsetting Semih. But these things happen in football; sometimes you will play, and sometimes you will not. There will be times when you need to stay on the bench for tactical reasons. When you are ready, you must have the potential to embarrass everyone when they put you on the field.”
