Though Sağlam parted ways tragically with Beşiktaş, he was liked by the fans for his style and stance. He never reacted to unfair treatment and rarely made statements on burning media issues. But in one such rare instance, he issued an emotional plea, stressing that he had become a coach as a man of honor and left the team as a man of honor.
I knocked on his door to see if I could interview him after he accepted an offer to coach from Bursaspor. Sensational statements and unique explanations are what we sniff out in journalism. They are the fun part of this profession. But I didn’t expect secrets or sensational remarks from Sağlam, being well aware that I was speaking with an honorable man who disliked sensationalism.
He is a resolute man, decisive, and someone who promises success. Even though it seems like a pipe-dream when we hear from him his pledges to make Bursaspor a champion someday, we believe he could do so because of his strong commitment to achieving his goals.
How did you become Bursaspor’s coach?
I did not consider coaching a team until after the end of the season that I left Beşiktaş. I received some domestic and international offers -- two from Asian countries. Also, six or seven domestic clubs made offers, but I was expecting offers that would fit my criteria. When I received a long-term offer from İbrahim Yazıcı that suited my plans, programs and goals well, I started considering it seriously.
What factors were the most influential for you to accept the offer?
Above all, I analyzed the potential of the city and I took the offer after getting the opinions of the city’s prominent figures. Bursaspor is a leading club in Turkey, people have high expectations for it, but have, so far, not had their expectations met for a variety of reasons. Soccer fans and viewers will tell you that Bursaspor is the closest team to the championship after the big four.
Is it not risky to talk about a team other than the big four winning the championship?
I am aware that this is a difficult goal to achieve in the short run. But Bursaspor has the potential to do this. If we can mobilize the dynamics of the city, we will be able to overcome any difficulties that we face. I don’t think this is a dream. Before the signing ceremony, I did the math and developed some criteria. I realized that we have the necessary factors at hand that will earn us the championship. I am not talking about a short-term goal. First of all, our performance this year is important to convince our fans that we will achieve our other goals in the years to come. Currently, the fans, the community and the administration hold positive views about the team. I hope we will play well and pursue championship titles in the future.
It has been a relatively short time since you became the Bursaspor coach. Have you gotten the chance to get to know the team? How do you regard the team in your initial analysis?
It is a fact that we have some problems. I do not want to resort to clichés and argue that I took over a wreck. This team defeated Trabzonspor, Galatasaray and Kayserispor in the first half of the season. This means it is a high-quality team and raises the hope that we can achieve our goals. But we should also consider the fact that our actual goal is to perform well next season. What we need this year is to do our best and prepare the ground for next season.
What will be your priorities next season?
We will review our transfer policy and avoid the mistakes we made this year. We will further seek to maintain stability and high performance in an attempt to accomplish what the community and the fans have been waiting for.
Bursaspor fans have a strong interest in soccer. They are also known for their interference in the team. Former coaches Samet Aybaba and Güvenç Kurtar experienced some problems with this. Are you at all concerned?
As a coach and as a player I have never been protested against even by the fans of the opposing team. I don’t think I’ll ever be protested against during my career as a coach because I will not act in a way to incite such a reaction. The fans’ warm attitude toward me during the signing ceremony gave me some clues about how they’ll treat me. I think this will be the incentive for our future performance and success. However, excessive expectations of the fans may sometimes put pressure on the players. We will need our fans’ patience in such cases. We will achieve our long-sought success if we can do this.
There were problems in Beşiktaş with foreign players. Bursaspor also suffers from low performance issues with its foreign players. What are you planning to do to address this concern?
Transferring foreign players is always a risky business. During the first half of the season, Bursaspor extensively suffered from low performance from its foreign players. We are extremely cautious and sensitive on this matter and do not want to make any mistakes with any rushed decisions. We are currently looking for the best players, ones that will serve our interests and needs. It is extremely important that we make the right transfers and that they are beneficial for us in the long term.
Turkish soccer has problems with training young talent. What do you recommend to deal with this problem?
A number of young players have been recruited from junior teams to the A teams of Samsunspor, Kayserispor and Beşiktaş. It is also a fact that Bursaspor has potential with its junior players. My job is to effectively use this potential. The troubles currently pulsing through the global economy are affecting us, too. Turkey is not exempt from this. Clubs are seriously feeling the heat. It is difficult to ensure the clubs stability through external transfers, so they have to rely on their own resources. This means teams should focus on their junior and youth teams.
Fans are very interested in you. Did you at all get the impression that this could actually resolve longstanding problems between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor?
First of all, I would like to thank all of the fans for their support during the signing ceremony. Peace and brotherhood are at the core of soccer. Despite the fact that competition is involved, soccer is also a sport. If opponents on the field hug each other once the game is over, the fans on the stands could do the same. If I serve as a bridge and a mediator between my old and current teams, this will only make me happy.
Do you think the problem with regard to trusting domestic coaches has been resolved?
There is an ongoing reality that some of our teams, including Sivasspor, Kayserispor and Ankaraspor, are attracting people’s attention because of their success in our league. This is the success of local coaches and it shouldn’t be ignored. If Turkish soccer had some problems in the past, the question about the reasons why should be directed toward those who caused them –- not to those who experienced and suffered from the same problems.
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