Second-tier 1461 Trabzon extends Galatasaray’s seven-year itch

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray players react after the second goal by 1461 Trabzon during the two teams Ziraat Turkish Cup meeting at the Türk Telekom Arena. 1461 Trabzon handed Galatasaray one of its biggest shocks in the tournament with a 2-1 win. Galatasaray, a 14-time winner, failed to win the Turkish Cup since 2005. AA photo

Galatasaray suffered one of the biggest shocks in recent Ziraat Turkish Cup history, losing 2-1 to second-tier 1461 Trabzon on Dec. 11.

The Turkish champion was twice hit on the break by the PTT League One side, with Emrullah Kokoç and Sercan Kaya putting their names on the score-sheet. Galatasaray found the net with Emre Çolak 13 minutes from time, but its further efforts to equalize were not enough. Galatasaray also had two shots hit the crossbar from a header by Aydın Yılmaz and a shot by Cris.

This is the biggest result in the history of 1461 Trabzon, a feeder club for Trabzonspor.
Defender Abdullah Karmil said Galatasaray guilty of complacency and did not take the match seriously enough. “Their game showed it, they were too relaxed,” Karmil said. “We showed what can happen if you take your opponent lightly.”

‘Too relaxed’

Coach Mustafa Reşit Akçay agreed. “Of course, they were favorites before the match. We were aware of that, but we have our trumps, too. We can play fast counter attacks,” Akçay said during the post-game press conference. “We can say that Galatasaray took us lightly, or did not think highly enough of us … Maybe that was not the case, but at the end of the day we made an achievement against a solid team and we are very happy.”

Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim was upset about the result, but refused allegations that his team took the opponents too lightly. “I don’t think we did that, but [1461 players and coach] say it is so,” Terim said. “Maybe [Galatasaray players] did not concentrate enough on thoughts of: ‘We must win this no matter what.’”

Derby distraction

Galatasaray winger Engin Baytar said the looming derby fixture against Fenerbahçe on Dec. 16 could have played a part in the poor performance. “We did not have disrespect toward our opponents, but we could not concentrate well enough,” the temperamental player, who returned from a lengthy 11-match ban for attacking referee Cüneyt Çakır in a Super Cup match against Fenerbahçe earlier this season. “There is an important Fenerbahçe match at the weekend and maybe we were focused on that. It was wrong and no excuse for the defeat.”

The defeat continued Galatasaray’s poor run in the Turkish Cup. The club has won 14 titles, to be the competition’s most successful side in history, but it has failed to win the trophy since winning the 2005 final 5-1 against Fenerbahçe.

On the other hand, 1461 Trabzon is now daring to dream to go all the way in the competition.
“We are dreaming of playing the cup final,” coach Akçay told Doğan News Agency, “and to meet Trabzonspor there.”