Galatasaray’s Okan Buruk criticizes UEFA over German referee appointment
Head coach of Galatasaray Okan Buruk, is seen ahead of UEFA Champions League play-off round first leg match between Young Boys and Galatasaray, Bern, August 21, 2024 (AA Photo)
Galatasaray faced Switzerland’s Young Boys in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round on Thursday. The match, played at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, ended in a 3-2 victory for Young Boys. Galatasaray’s head coach, Okan Buruk, who watched the match from the stands due to a suspension, criticized UEFA for appointing a German referee after the match.
Galatasaray’s Buruk criticizes referee’s management
Buruk, who mentioned he had to watch the game from the stands due to his suspension, said, “The referee’s management of the game bothered me. He kept stopping the play unnecessarily and gave out cards that were not needed. It took him a minute to write up a single card. At this level, you expect and imagine much more.”
Emphasizing that the referee was German, Galatasaray’s coach Buruk added, “We’re in the German-speaking canton of Switzerland, and they send a German referee. A referee who has had issues with your players. I’m not looking for bad intentions here, but with the assignments … Do they send an Azerbaijani referee to a Turkish match? The referee probably drove here. They’ve appointed a German referee to a match involving a brotherly nation. Hopefully, they’ll appoint an Azerbaijani referee for the return leg to even things out.”
