Turkey’s national football team head coach Şenol Güneş on Monday hit back at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s financial advisor after he blasted the country’s sports officials for their “undeserved’’ inflated salaries following a defeat on the pitch.
“He has ruined the economy and now he talks about money. Why don’t you go and fix the economy,’’ Duvar news site cited Güneş as telling Yiğit Bulut, in an apparent reference to Turkey’s ailing economy, which has registered record-breaking lows against the U.S. dollar in recent weeks.
Güneş’s suggestion for the Erdoğan finance aide to occupy himself with fixing Turkey’s ailing economy follows a Twitter post by Bulut in the aftermath of Hungary-Turkey game on Nov. 18, which saw the Turkish national team suffer a 2-0 defeat, relegating the team to Group C of the UEFA Nations League.
Bulut took to Twitter following the defeat to accuse Turkish soccer officials, including the Football Federation and its members of “busying themselves with everything but football and being spoiled with millions in pay.’’
Milyonluk transferler
Yaşanan şımarık hayatlar
Vergisi kaçırılan transfer paraları
Vatandaşın cebinden çıkan milyarlık borçlar ve silinen faizlerFutbol hariç her şeyle ilgilenen milyonlar ödenen şımarık federasyon ve üyeleri
VE ORTADA MİLLİ TAKIM DİYE DOLAŞAN MAHALLE TAKIMI
— YİĞİT BULUT (@yigitbulutt) November 18, 2020
None of the sports figures on the pitch deserved to wear the national flag, the Erdoğan advisor added, calling the players an amateur neighbourhood team.
“Have I stolen anything?’’ the 68-year-old veteran coach, who led the Turkey team to thirdplace at the 2002 World Cup, said. ”my salary is well known, go and inspect it”and added “I know all about the damage you have inflicted on this county for years.’’
Bulut, known for being a loyal supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government and blaming Turkey’s economic woes on external forces, made headlines earlier this month when he contracted the coronavirus.
Güneş in Feb. 2019 agreed a four-year contract to coach the Turkish national team, returning to the job he held 15 years ago.
Ahval