What happened in Turkish football today? 09/02/2023

Super League will resume on 3rd March without Hatayspor

With recieving lots of criticism from lots of sides, TFF has announced that it would resume Super League on 3rd March and has also accepted request from Hatayspor for not completing its season.

According to original schedule, leagues has been scheduled to be resumed on 17th February which would be entirely wrong decision as psychology of players and also conditions would not be allowed. There has been mourning period officially announced to be 7 days, but it would be wrong to assume that after 12th February would go into everyday life as aftermath of this devastating would continue have its effects with people being mournful and worrying. Therefore resuming league so early in such conditions would be wrong. Meanwhile, with Hatayspor has been mostly affected from earthquake as city also experienced highest amount of deaths, request for Hatayspor not to complete season has been right one without doubt. It also left door open for Gaziantep, city which been also heavily affected from earthquake, to leave league if they would like to.

This decision has been rightful one as resuming league in such mental condition in the country would be very bad and hence TFF did make right decision for sure.

Death toll from earthquake keep rising.

With death toll reaching to more than 17,000 people and unfortunately much more is expecting to be rising does provide into how deathful earthquake has been.

It needs to be mentioned, an area which everyone is complaining right now about, is that lots of areas were not entered with rescue workers for various reasons and this does provide big fear of this number to be raising. Positive note is that we are continuing to hear miracle rescuers after psychological point of 72 hours and would be hoping we would be focussing into this number to be raising.  There has not been report about Christian Atsu meanwhile about his condition under rubbles and we are keeping fingers crossed for him and everyone else.

This is being huge tragedy for Turkey and Syria and we are hoping to be recieving good news rather then bad ones. 

All clubs are doing great job with collecting aid and donations.

Collection of aids and donations is keep continuing around Turkey with football clubs are continuing to play an important role as donations from clubs and they supporters is playing an incredible role.

We are seeing strong working with collecting aid and donations among clubs and also many clubs are openning they facilities for supporters to stay as long as they can and hence providing an important hand of support to everyone who has been supporting. Players outside of Turkey also continuing playing an important role with calling for supporters from they clubs to provide as much as possible donation for earthquake.

There is incredible working together among all clubs which has been done in very professional manner without doubt.

In other news:

- - KahramanmarasIstiklalspor player Saruhan Bolat has passed away following 7.7 scale earthquake in Turkey.

- Hatayspor player Kevin Soni: I was talking to Christian Atsu on Sunday evening. We were talking about his goal that day. I am sure, I was last one to talk to him. I am not happy about it, but its like that.I am praying for him all the time.

- TFF CEO Mehmet Buyukeksi: We had talked with Hatayspor regarding Christian Atsu. They informed us that one black person has been taken from rubbles from that location, but they not know if it was him. Its not clear right now. We hope he is among people who been rescued.

- ClubsUnion CEO Ali Koc: We are as clubs are doing everything for earthquake areas, but its not enough. As we were discussing when leagues should be resumed, TFF has made right decision to offer 3rd March. We would provide all financial support to Hatayspor and Gaziantep

- Gaziantep: We still didnt make decision if we would complete league or not this season. We still need few days. We told them in online meeting with Clubs Union. Meanwhile, we have shaken twice during meeting. Due of aftershock, internet has been down twice

- Barcelona has started donation campaign for 7.7 earthquake which took place in Turkey and Syria.

- Kocaelispor and Sakaryaspor will play friendly game at Kocaeli with all profits going to earthquake donations. Date of game will be announced later.

- Trabzonspor CEO Ahmet Agaoglu: We are planning to play friendly game in Germany against strong club at 50,000 -capacity stadium. All profits would go to earthquake donations.

- - Antalyaspor has made campaign within themselves and hence has raised 2 trucks full of water, 1 truck with flour and 1 truck of children good and higency goods which were send to areas affected by earthquake.

- First earthquake victims has started arriving to Antalyaspor facilties

- Galatasaray player Nicolo Zaniolo has donated 400,000 TL for earthquake victims.

- Konyaspor had one 1-minute silence in memory of victims for earthquake in Turkey.

- Kasimpasa has send a truck with aid and donations to areas affected by earthquake.

- Galatasaray has send 50th truck of aids and donations to areas affected by earthquake.

- Antalyaspor head coach Nuri Sahin and players Guray Vural and Dogukan Sinik had greeted citizens who arrived from earthquake affected areas to they facilities.

- Konyaspor has opened doors of its facilities for victims affected by earthquake.

- Fenerbahce has send 27th truck of aids and donations to areas affected by earthquake.

- Galatasaray player Mauro Icardi has announced that he would visit and give present his signature shirt to earthquake survivor Kadir, who is strong Galatasaray and Mauro Icardi fan.