Okan Buruk's championship comment: 'Matches are not won before they are played'

The mood in the Galatasaray camp is undoubtedly somber following a shocking 4-1 defeat to Samsunspor in the Trendyol Süper Lig. This unexpected loss has narrowed the gap at the top of the table, with rivals Fenerbahçe now just four points behind. Manager Okan Buruk, speaking to beIN SPORTS, did not shy away from the team's shortcomings.

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Bir anda herkes bizi şampiyon ilan etti ama maçlar oynanmadan kazanılmıyor. Bunu sahada gördük. Bunu kırmaya, oyuncuların kafasından çıkarmaya çalıştık.

"Everyone declared us champions prematurely, but matches are not won before they are played. We saw that on the field," Buruk stated, reflecting on the team's complacency. While the team started well and even took the lead, a subsequent dip in performance after Samsunspor equalized proved costly. Buruk admitted that after the 1-1 mark, the team played poorly, and despite a strong start to the second half, they failed to convert crucial chances.

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İyi oynadılar. 11'e 10 sonrası farklı bir oyun oldu. Rakip kaleye gitmeye çalıştık 11'e 10'ken de ama rakibimizin her geldiği de gol oldu. Rakip değerlendirdi. İyi değerlendirdiler.

"Our opponent evaluated all their chances. They played well. After going down to 10 men, the game changed differently. We tried to go to the opponent's goal even when it was 11 against 10, but every time they came, it was a goal. They evaluated them well. It's difficult to play 11 against 10, especially when you're behind. We played far below our game, we made many mistakes as a team," he explained.

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Oyunumuzun çok altında kaldık, çok hata yaptık. Bölgesel olarak söylemeyeceğim ama takım olarak çok hata yaptık.

Despite this significant stumble, Buruk remains resolute. "We wanted to win this match and the championship, but we couldn't. We are 4 points ahead. We will win the Antalyaspor match and declare our championship. We haven't become champions yet. We need to prepare better and determine the championship with our game and our quality." From the perspective of Cumhuriyet, this defeat serves as a crucial wake-up call, reminding everyone that the Süper Lig title is far from secured and that Galatasaray must regain its winning form to clinch the championship.

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Bu maçı ve şampiyonluğu alıp dönmek istiyorduk ama başaramadık. 4 puan öndeyiz. Antalyaspor maçını kazanıp şampiyonluğumuzu ilan edeceğiz. Şampiyon olmadık. Daha iyi hazırlanıp oyunumuzla ve kalitemizle şampiyonluğu belli etmemiz gerekiyor.