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Galatasaray wrapped up its preseason campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Spain's Villarreal on Saturday, prompting fresh frustration from supporters after the Turkish champions slipped to a third loss in five warm-up matches.
The Istanbul club finished its preparations with one victory, one draw and three defeats, having beaten Umraniyespor 5-1, lost to Monza and Venezia, drawn 3-3 with Rennes and then fallen to Villarreal.
Villarreal took the lead in the third minute through Ayoze Perez, who converted from the penalty spot.
Galatasaray hit back almost immediately as Victor Osimhen equalized in the fifth minute, but Georges Mikautadze restored Villarreal's advantage in the 41st minute. Neither side managed another goal after halftime, leaving the visitors with a 2-1 victory.
The Yellow-Reds' head coach Okan Buruk was sent off in the opening minutes after receiving two yellow cards for protesting the referee's decisions. He was first booked in the fifth minute before being shown a second yellow for continuing his objections, resulting in his dismissal from the technical area.
Attention quickly shifted to the stands as supporters voiced their dissatisfaction with the club's transfer activity.
Fans repeatedly directed chants at club president Dursun Ozbek, including "Dursun Ozbek, where are the transfers?", "Our patience is running out, where are the transfers?", "Board, wake up, where are the transfers?" and "The fans are here, where are the transfers?" during the match.
The protests came despite Galatasaray making its first signing of the summer by bringing in French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on a season-long loan from Burnley with a conditional purchase option.
Supporters have continued to call for further reinforcements as the defending Turkish champion prepares for a campaign that includes a title defense and a return to the UEFA Champions League.
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