Ufuk Sarica, the head coach of Karsiyaka in the Turkish Insurance Basketball Super League, stated that they aim to finish in the top four and enter the playoffs with an advantage at the end of the season. Sarica, who first took charge in the 2012-2013 season, coached the green-red team for four seasons before leaving. He returned to Karsiyaka in 2019-2020 and will now be in his 10th season with the Izmir representative.
Under Sarica’s management, Karsiyaka won the Turkish Cup for the first time in the 2013-2014 season and reached the league championship in the 2014-2015 season after starting with the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Cup. In the 2012-2013 season, Karsiyaka played in the EuroChallenge Cup final under Sarica, and in 2020-2021, they advanced to the final of the Champions League but did not win the trophy.
Having managed Karsiyaka in 473 official matches so far, Ufuk Sarica has recorded 293 victories, 179 losses, and 1 draw.
• “Our Target is the Top Four”In an interview with an AA reporter, Sarica commented on the strong rosters of Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahçe Beko, the European League representatives in the Basketball Super League. He explained that they compete with these teams every year, saying, “As we have shown before the season, we could be one of the most competitive teams in this league. It will be a tough league.”
Sarica pointed out that the new foreign player rule would create a league where anyone could defeat anyone else, stating, “As every year, we want to achieve our goal of being in the top four and carry an advantage into the playoffs at the end of the season.” He argued that the foreign player rule to be implemented in the league this year would not be very beneficial for Turkish basketball and the national team, saying, “Having 7 foreigners in a squad of 12 is unnecessary. If you set it free, I say in parentheses, how useful this would be is also debatable. I do not have a positive outlook on this.”
