Can Turkey Have a Football Ecole?

International break has given me time to write about Turkish football. Today, I am not going to talk about Spor Toto Super League. If you ask people ‘Is there an Ecole in Turkish football?’, they probably laugh in your face. Theoretically, there is not, but there may. Let’s get it started.

Clue From “Brilliant Orange”

I love this book, so in the beginning, I should thank David Winner, the author of the book. What is the connection between total football and the Netherland’s culture? This book tells us that, according to the Netherland’s social structure, if a person comes to the forefront, the society tries to pull him down. The long grass is cut immediately. Maybe that’s why Johan Cruff lost captain armband and left Ajax. It should not be forgotten that he was really dominant on the pitch.

The Key Word Is “Dominant”

What about Turkish social structure? Most of the people believe that Fatih Terim is the best Turkish manager. (Some people can object this.) He has a very dominant character. When Galatasaray won UEFA Cup in 2000, his speech in the dressing room was really popular. You can watch it on YouTube. If you see how he motivates his players, you can understand what I mean. Carry the one!

Back then Galatasaray had Gheorghe Hagi. He was a significant figure for Galatasaray’s 2000 UEFA victory. His bossy and dominant character on the pitch and off the pitch can have made players together. Carry the two!

Turkey’s most criticised footballer is Emre Belozoglu without doubt. His aggressive, irritable behaviours have caused him to be shown red cards most of the time. However, he is totally like a commander. He has a good vision. He manages to control his mates and the game on the pitch. He makes football great for me. People don’t like his behaviours but they respect his football. Carry the three!

Inference

These 3 figures were really successful for Turkish football. Football fans have loved to watch them. However why?
Turkey has a patriarchal structure. Father, grandpa, ancestor are really important. People respect older people’s words and they are tied to older people’s apron strings. This causes unquestioning support.

As a result, Turkish football Ecole needs a dominant character on the pitch and on the bench. This character (on the pitch) should control the game, so his position must be central midfielder or attacking central midfielder. Stated in other words, “Number 10” or “Number 8”.