Turkey basketball coach sparks outrage with Fenerbahce-Galatasaray gesture

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Louise Thomas

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Fenerbahce’s basketball team said they would not release their players for international duty after the coach of Turkey’s national side showed his support for fierce footballing rivals Galatasaray.

National basketball team coach Ergin Ataman, who also coaches Greek side Panathinaikos, held up three fingers on one hand and one on the other in reference to Galatasaray’s 3-1 Super Lig win at Fenerbahce on Saturday.

In a post on Instagram, Ataman said the gesture, which he made in a friendly basketball match on Tuesday between Panathinaikos and Galatasaray, was “unplanned”.

“I certainly did not intend to target or offend any community when I made this gesture,” said the 58-year-old, who also previously coached Galatasaray.

“I am a coach who expresses my respect for the Fenerbahce community at every opportunity, but underlines that I am one of their biggest rivals on the field.”

Fenerbahce said they did not accept Ataman’s apology.

“This act is a great disrespect to our community, to the dignity of the national team coach and even to our country for the sake of favouring a community,” Fenerbahce said in a statement.

“The apology statement made by him to our community is ignored by us.

“We inform the public that we have decided not to send any athletes to our men’s national team for the duration of his tenure in this position, which requires indispensable qualities such as ‘dignity and impartiality’.”

Fenerbahce’s football coach Jose Mourinho was also unhappy with his Galatasaray counterpart Okan Buruk on Wednesday.

Mourinho did not take part in the post-match press conference on Saturday after having to wait over an hour for Buruk to finish his.

“In 24 years of football, I never in my life escaped from a press conference, especially after a defeat,” he told reporters.

“I understand the coach of an away team going to the press conference first, but there have to be certain limits. Seventy minutes, I’m sorry, but it’s a lack of respect.

“So if anybody felt disrespected, I am the one that felt disrespected.”

Reuters