Graeme Souness wrote himself into Galatasaray folklore with a controversial (or iconic, relying in your persuasion) flag planting on Fenerbahce turf after profitable the 1996 Turkish Cup ultimate.
And whereas he solely lasted a season in Turkey, returning to the Premier League with Southampton on the finish of 1995/96, he’ll endlessly be remembered at Galatasaray for boiling the blood of each Fenerbahce supporter on that April night.
Graeme Souness reveals motive behind planting Galatasaray flag on Fenerbahce’s pitch
Souness is now a pundit after leaving administration (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
“I acquired an exquisite welcome from everybody at Galatasaray, however one thing not all good stood out,” Souness solely tells FourFourTwo . “I discovered one among Fenerbahce’s vice-presidents had taken a pop at me, telling a newspaper, ‘What are Galatasaray doing signing a cripple as a coach?’ Or phrases to that impact, anyway. I felt he was insinuating I used to be on my final legs due to the open-heart surgical procedure I’d undergone throughout my time at Liverpool just a few years beforehand. I discovered it fairly unkind and disrespectful, to say the least, however I’d been across the block sufficient instances to know what goes round comes round.
“Lo and behold, 9 months later I had an opportunity to get my very own again once we confronted Fenerbahce within the two-legged Turkish Cup ultimate. It was the best method to give the followers one thing to shout about, as a result of Fenerbahce had the higher hand over us and we’d gone out of Europe fairly early. That was although I’d been joined by future Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel and confirmed professionals equivalent to my former Reds Dean Saunders, who prospered in Turkey, and Barry Venison and Mike Marsh, who didn’t actually take to Istanbul.”
Galatasaray followers bear in mind Graeme Souness planting flag
Galatasaray in the end ended up completed fourth within the Turkish Tremendous Lig, 16 factors behind rivals Fenerbahce, however the Turkish Cup gave Gala followers a possibility to get one over on their closest rivals.
Having misplaced 3-1 at Fener’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium earlier within the league marketing campaign, a 1-0 lead from the primary leg of the ultimate meant {that a} powerful activity nonetheless awaited them within the second sport. A draw would have been sufficient for them to carry the Cup, with Souness doing simply that.
“I used to be relishing the ultimate,” Souness says. “I like to think about myself as a participant who loved large video games probably the most, and it was the identical as a supervisor – I cherished the massive events. I used to be by no means daunted, not even once we headed to their place for the second leg with our noses solely barely in entrance after profitable 1-0 on the Ali Sami Yen.
“We had been actually up in opposition to it at their place, and had been dropping 1-0 when Dean scored to place us again in command deep into further time. I bear in mind being up and out of my seat as quickly as he’d hit the ball, as a result of I knew what an incredible striker he was from our Liverpool days.
“That was simply the beginning of a loopy sequence of occasions. We had been about to get our fingers on the trophy when an enormous Galatasaray flag was handed over a fence to one among our gamers – everybody had a go elevating it aloft to rejoice with our followers.”
Earlier feedback from the Fenerbahce vice-president after Souness’ arrival in Istanbul actually impressed him to plant the flag of their turf, although he now admits he did not totally assume by the severity of his actions.
“The flag ended up in my fingers and after I’d given it a wave I seemed round to move it on, however the entire gamers had buggered off and had been on the midway line ready for the presentation,” Souness provides. “Nothing was premeditated. It simply occurred. And I unintentionally ended up with a spot in Turkish footballing folklore.
“I jogged up the pitch to affix them, however then caught sight of the man who’d mentioned these disagreeable issues about me. I recognised him as a result of he was typically pictured within the papers mouthing off.
“I mentioned to myself, ‘I’ll present you who’s a cripple’, and made my method over to the centre circle with the flag on a mission to plant it within the pitch. At first, I will need to have seemed like a proper berk. I attempted and failed to stay it subsequent to the kick-off spot. I had two makes an attempt, as a result of the bottom was so onerous, earlier than I lastly bought third time fortunate.”
Souness has since been invited again to Galatasaray (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
In proving a degree, Souness welcomed a torrent of abuse on himself from the house crowd that had stayed within the stands.
“I used to be feeling happy with myself, however then I seemed up and it abruptly dawned on me that it wasn’t my cleverest transfer,” he recollects. “The Fenerbahce supporters who had hung round had been so livid, they had been attempting to climb the perimeter fence to get at me. Somebody ripped the flagpole again out of the bottom, so I believed it was time for me to make an exit earlier than issues bought out of hand. They had been baying for my blood.
“I wasn’t frightened, as a result of I’ve not been daunted by something in soccer, however I nonetheless thought it sensible to make a run for it. I bought beneath the police shields, which made plenty of thudding noises as missiles rained down from the stands.
“I reached the tunnel space and was counting my blessings once I acquired a thump on the aspect of the top from a fan who’d sneaked in. We had a scuffle earlier than I entered the sanctuary of our altering room, the place I seemed for an ice bucket to cease the swelling on my hand after I’d punched my assailant.”
Whereas again within the confines of security, Souness nonetheless feared the more severe. Anticipating the membership’s hierarchy to look unfavourably on his controversial act, the alternative occurred. As an alternative, Souness planting the flag drew comparisons with legendary Turkish martyr Ulubatlı Hasan, who was killed as he planted the Ottoman flag on the finish of the Siege of Constantinople in 1453.
“Surprisingly, issues then took a flip for the higher, although I used to be braced to be given my marching orders for bringing the membership into disrepute and threatening civil warfare, when the administrators joined our celebrations,” Souness provides. “Oh me of little religion – they had been all completely ecstatic! There have been tears of pleasure and I ended up being kissed and hugged by all of them. They mentioned it was one of many best days of their membership’s historical past, so I used to be positively of their good books.
“What I’d finished was silly, nevertheless it was a launch of emotion after a troublesome season as a result of we’d gained a trophy and I’d bought my very own again on that chap who’d had a go at me. There was no method it was supposed to be a slight on Fenerbahce. Their supporters who I meet these days recognise the place I used to be coming from.”
