Let Galatasaray go bankrupt

Mehmet Ali Birand usually sticks to politics in his columns for the Turkish daily news and Posta but on Wednesday he devoted his whole article to a lament about the financial crisis at Galatasaray in an article entitled "What a shame, Galatasaray should not fall to this level"

"The Galatasaray football club is facing one of its most serious economic crises in recent years. They have no money and debtors are knocking on their doors every day. Had the club not been the famed Galatasaray, it would have long ago been in claims court, and loan officers would have long ago invaded the building," Birand writes.

The latest hassle, a few weeks ago it was unable to pay its foreign stars, appears to be outstanding debts to an old player.

"Galatasaray has a $1,300,000 debt to Croatian Robert Spehar. Unable to pay it back due to lack of funds, it postpones it for two months so as not cause shame within FIFA. And if the debt is not paid within 15 days, six points will be removed from Galatasaray's league standings."

The article goes on with all sorts of ways in which the club is trying to find the money and how it is so sad for the Galatasaray fans. weep weep.

But I think Birand has missed an important point. Galatasaray has been living above its means and, as Birand said, if it was any other club it would have already been liquadated. This should be seen as an opportunity! Let Galatasaray fall a few rungs. Let's see just how loyal their supporters are when it is threatened with relegation. This is a great chance for every other club in the country. It's about time to shake up the cosy Istanbul Three who run the league.

In other words, all true Turkish football lovers should be hoping that Galatasaray goes bankrupt! Football is bigger than just one club.