Galatasaray's football planning proposed Arda Turan as Okan Buruk's assistant coach four years ago, but the club's management blocked the move. Journalist Fatih Altaylı revealed the details.
Altaylı stated, "4 yıl önce Okan Buruk Galatasaray’ın teknik direktörlük koltuğuna oturduğu zaman, Galatasaray’ın o günkü futbol aklı, Okan Buruk’a yardımcı olarak Arda Turan’ı önerdi." The plan aimed to build a coaching setup lasting 10 to 15 years, with Buruk as head coach and a successor groomed from within. Buruk himself welcomed the idea enthusiastically.
Arda Turan's response was positive. Turan said, "Galatasaray’da teknik direktör olmak büyük bir onurdur, yardımcısı olmak da önemli bir görevdir," indicating he accepted the offer without hesitation. However, a firm 'Arda will not' from the club's management prevented the plan from materializing.
ARDA TURAN'S CURRENT STANDING
Today, Arda Turan has reached a significant career milestone as the head coach of Shakhtar Donetsk. He even declined an offer to manage the Turkish national team recently. Turan expressed that had he accepted that offer, he might now be in the Premier League and believes he will become one of the elite coaches working with top clubs.
From Galatasaray's perspective, the situation is viewed with regret. The club currently leads the Süper Lig with 16 points from 7 games, having won its last five official matches to maintain strong form. Despite a 4-1 loss to Barcelona in its last league match, it sits one point ahead of Beşiktaş, as seen on our standings page. Galatasaray's next fixture, visible on our fixtures page, is an away match against Gençlerbirliği on October 17. Past administrative decisions like this continue to be debated as factors shaping the club's future trajectory.
More detail at t24.com.tr
