Did Hacıosmanoğlu's plan for Turkish football convince you?

16 Ağu 13:51

I take the “footballer development revolution” that Hacıosmanoğlu brought up very seriously, too. Look, for players who come through the academy to consistently feature for the first team, it’s not just physical equipment that matters—technical adaptation is critical as well. For example, when the “pressing trap” style that emerged in the late 2010s hit the scene, our young talents’ reaction times on the pitch were unfortunately lagging behind their opponents. If, as Hacı plans, we develop players who are both tactically smart and strong in 1‑v‑1 situations, we could reverse the trend we’ve been lamenting at Ülker Stadium—“why do academy‑grown players disappear so quickly?”—that we’ve seen so often lately. Even having young players with Champions League experience could double the team’s competitive edge in Europe. As for the foreign‑player policy, there’s actually a paradox. Over the past three years, the minimum number of domestic players required by UEFA regulations has increased, giving our young talents more chances to get minutes. For instance, according to TFF data, the average share of foreign players in the starting eleven last season was 42 %, and this season it’s dropped to about 35 %. Hacı’s plan could accelerate this trend, but the biggest risk is neglecting the academy system in favor of capital intensity. Look at Belgium: in the last decade, its investments in U‑17 national teams are now bearing fruit with players like De Ketelaere and Doku. We could do the same, but we’d need at least a 5‑ to 7‑year horizon. If we don’t raise the quality of coaches in our academies, our young players will continue to fall short in “reading the game” on the field.