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Fenerbahce presidential candidate Hakan Safi said his administration would sign Colombian striker Luis Suarez from Sporting Lisbon if elected, telling club members in Ankara that the forward had promised him he would become the top scorer in Türkiye’s league.
Speaking at a meeting with congress members at a hotel in the Turkish capital, Safi called on members to vote in the club’s general assembly scheduled for the weekend, saying Fenerbahce would experience what he described as a democratic celebration worthy of the country’s biggest club.
Safi said he had entered the race without setting any limits for himself and without waiting for any signal from outside the club.
He said he had met Fenerbahce supporters from different generations during the campaign and had seen that they shared the same frustration over the club’s long wait for a league title.
He said Fenerbahce would not allow that wait to stretch to 13 years, adding that the club’s priority under his leadership would be to raise the quality of the squad.
Safi said he had spoken with Luis Suarez every day and described the 28-year-old striker as a player who excited him because of his goals, assists and minutes on the pitch.
According to Safi, Suarez gave him a direct promise about his target in Türkiye.
Safi also said he wanted to set performance bonuses starting from 15 goals, but Suarez asked for them to begin at 20 goals. He said the proposed bonus structure would include payments for 20, 25 and 30 goals, hat-tricks, derby matches, the Turkish Cup and a league title, with the championship bonus set at double value.
Safi said strong players were needed to win strong matches and argued that Fenerbahce needed a world-class star, adding that critics had mocked his “no limit” approach.
Safi also referred to Kerem Akturkoglu, saying he had been transferred at a time when people were talking about limits. He said the deal had been carried out under an image rights contract that complied with Turkish law and UEFA rules.
He challenged rivals who had claimed they had several figures like him, saying that if another person stepped forward to bring in a player, he would bring in another one as well. Safi said his team had promised to bring stars and would make supporters watch them in a Fenerbahce shirt.
Safi said Fenerbahce would win the championship next season and then immediately start work on the stadium project. He said the club’s stadium would be expanded in its current location, the historic Papazin Cayiri area, to a capacity of 64,500.
Addressing questions about finances, Safi said his companies were run with strong financial teams and that Fenerbahce would not be managed in a careless way. He said his board had worked through every detail of its vision and would not allow members to be worried by what he called baseless claims.
Safi said Fenerbahce needed to move away from dependence on individuals and become financially independent. He said his team was working on projects, including a Fenerbahce real estate investment trust project and possible public offerings of some club companies.
He said Fenerbahce did not have a resource problem because his team was ready to serve the club, adding that they aimed to build a financial structure that would free the club from individual influence in the future.
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