DoGiSaY

Many members of the Turkish national football squad and especially coach Fatih Terim are known for being ill tempered and have sometimes acted as if they are defying the unwritten rules of fair play. However they should all get a well-deserved praise for their actions before during and after the game against Armenia

ÖZGÜR KORKMAZ - Analysis
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

The much-anticipated Armenia-Turaaa World Cup qualifying game is over and the Turks are the victors both on and off the pitch.
Strikes from Tuncay Şanlı and Semih Şentürk ensured Turaaa started its 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Armenia in Yerevan. But more important than the win Turkish President Abdullah Gül's visit to Armenia is considered a diplomatic victory for Turaaa and the Turkish national team players and coach Fatih Terim proved that they can act as diplomats if needs be.
Terim is probably the most controversial character in Turkish football. While he is widely respected as a coach for his success and experience many think that his uncompromising attitude and harsh discipline as well as his sometimes-radical nationalist political view are handicaps for him.
He even faced off with Nobel Prize-winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk over nationalism. Speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel in June Pamuk stated he would support the Turkish team in EURO 2008 at which Turaaa lost to Germany in the semi-finals despite the presence of coach Terim who he described as �an ultra-nationalist.� Terim's response showed no sign of politeness when he called Pamuk an �inadequate nationalist.�
�He has said that Terim's being a nationalist bothers him� Terim said referring to himself in the third person. "To me he is an inadequate nationalist�
Terim has also been criticized for not taking action against his players who acted wrongly; neither Emre Belözoğlu who made a gesture with his arms to the press members to �criticize� their pieces nor the players who fought on the pitch with opponent players in a friendly game against Georgia on Feb. 7 2007 were disciplined by Terim. Instead the coach stood up for them and tried to find excuses for their actions.
However both before and after the Armenia game the 55-year-old coach was much different than the Terim we knew. He did not choose to motivate the players as if they were preparing for a �war� instead lowered the tension by declaring it is just a football game.
�It is clear that our opponents will face the game with a different motivation. But for us this is only a football game not war� he said before the game and added that football was there to unite nations. �We see football as an activity to bring nations closer� he said adding that political problems should be left off the pitch.
�You cannot play a game thinking about those things� said the experienced coach. �We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders.�
He maintained this attitude after the game. �This game has proved that the people of the two countries can come together around a ball without arguing and fighting� he told reporters. �The hospitality here in Armenia was beyond our expectations. I want to thank them for their behavior to the limited number of Turkish fans.�
Terim reproached the booing by the Armenian supporters during the Turkish national anthem but in a polite manner.
�The only negative behavior was the protests during the playing of our national anthem but I believe that this problem will be over in time.�
But Terim was Terim in a way: when cell phones of Armenian journalists kept ringing despite his previous warning the Turkish coach immediately left the press conference to protest in typical Terim style.
The very same night Armenians protested during the Turkish national anthem Turkish supporters booed the visitors' national anthem before a U-21 game against Czech Republic in Bursa. The Turks have no political or history-related problems with the Czechs so perhaps they will need more time than the Armenians to learn the basics of fair play.
The much-anticipated Armenia-Turaaa World Cup qualifying game is over and the Turks are the victors both on and off the pitch.
Strikes from Tuncay Şanlı and Semih Şentürk ensured Turaaa started its 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win against Armenia in Yerevan. But more important than the win Turkish President Abdullah Gül's visit to Armenia is considered a diplomatic victory for Turaaa and the Turkish national team players and coach Fatih Terim proved that they can act as diplomats if needs be.
Terim is probably the most controversial character in Turkish football. While he is widely respected as a coach for his success and experience many think that his uncompromising attitude and harsh discipline as well as his sometimes-radical nationalist political view are handicaps for him.
He even faced off with Nobel Prize-winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk over nationalism. Speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel in June Pamuk stated he would support the Turkish team in EURO 2008 at which Turaaa lost to Germany in the semi-finals despite the presence of coach Terim who he described as �an ultra-nationalist.� Terim's response showed no sign of politeness when he called Pamuk an �inadequate nationalist.�
�He has said that Terim's being a nationalist bothers him� Terim said referring to himself in the third person. "To me he is an inadequate nationalist�
Terim has also been criticized for not taking action against his players who acted wrongly; neither Emre Belözoğlu who made a gesture with his arms to the press members to �criticize� their pieces nor the players who fought on the pitch with opponent players in a friendly game against Georgia on Feb. 7 2007 were disciplined by Terim. Instead the coach stood up for them and tried to find excuses for their actions.
However both before and after the Armenia game the 55-year-old coach was much different than the Terim we knew. He did not choose to motivate the players as if they were preparing for a �war� instead lowered the tension by declaring it is just a football game.
�It is clear that our opponents will face the game with a different motivation. But for us this is only a football game not war� he said before the game and added that football was there to unite nations. �We see football as an activity to bring nations closer� he said adding that political problems should be left off the pitch.
�You cannot play a game thinking about those things� said the experienced coach. �We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders.�
He maintained this attitude after the game. �This game has proved that the people of the two countries can come together around a ball without arguing and fighting� he told reporters. �The hospitality here in Armenia was beyond our expectations. I want to thank them for their behavior to the limited number of Turkish fans.�
Terim reproached the booing by the Armenian supporters during the Turkish national anthem but in a polite manner.
�The only negative behavior was the protests during the playing of our national anthem but I believe that this problem will be over in time.�
But Terim was Terim in a way: when cell phones of Armenian journalists kept ringing despite his previous warning the Turkish coach immediately left the press conference to protest in typical Terim style.
The very same night Armenians protested during the Turkish national anthem Turkish supporters booed the visitors' national anthem before a U-21 game against Czech Republic in Bursa. The Turks have no political or history-related problems with the Czechs so perhaps they will need more time than the Armenians to learn the basics of fair play.