To recap, Yalçın was quoted as saying, “Soccer is a manly game for manly men,” after Galatasaray’s Brazil striker Joao Alves was stretchered off the pitch in their Turkish Cup first leg quarterfinal match against the Antalyaspor Scorpions in Antalya on Feb. 3.The Lions lost 2-1 and Rijkaard, without bothering to look at the TV replays, blew his top at his post-match conference, accusing Yalçın of acting with “malice and bad intentions” toward his player. At the end of the day, it became crystal clear that Yalçın did not make the utterances attributed to him and that they were concocted, nor was he in any way involved in Jo’s injury. Television replays clearly showed that the Brazilian sprained his left ankle after a bad tackle by Yalçın’s co-defender Şenol Can, not by Yalçın himself. But Rijkaard did not see the need to retract his remarks or apologize. Yalçın, in filing the suit, said, “Even though I was in no way involved [in Jo’s injury], I was accused by Rijkaard of being a ‘butcher’ and of ‘causing injury intentionally’.”
He continued: “I suffered public humiliation for something I did not do. And because of these remarks I became the man the Galatasaray fans loved to hate during the return leg at Ali Sami Yen [in İstanbul on Feb. 9].” As is known, Antalyaspor lost 3-2 in İstanbul but nonetheless advanced to the semifinals against Trabzonspor on the away goals rule.
“I was cursed, insulted and victimized by the Galatasaray fans. In light of this, I am filing a lawsuit [against Rijkaard] and if I win I will donate the money to charity,” Yalçın further asserted.
According to the Turkish Constitution, we cannot discuss a case that is in court. But I think we have the right to say that Rijkaard should from now on refrain from acting impulsively and should also get all the facts straight before he speaks in front of television cameras.
For it is said, “Let your ears hear what your mouth says.”
