Ex-Fenerbahce boss: It was time for a change

Aykut Kocaman, who resigned on Wednesday as the head coach of Fenerbahce FC after carrying the team to their first-ever semifinals appearance at Europa League this season, told AA that the reason for his departure was the need for fresh blood in the management of the club, among the largest in Turkey. Kocaman's resignation, which did not surprise many since he attempted to quit the post twice before, left the "Yellow Canaries" in search for a new manager on a tight list dominated by domestic options. "After the last meeting, I felt the time had come for a change of duty for me, and a change of blood for the club," Kocaman said, adding, "This is the sole reason that led me to my final decision." The manager said he believed after three years with the club he was leaving behind a valuable football legacy. Under Kocaman's lead, Fenerbahce triumphed twice at Turkish Cup in back-to-back championships. They had not been able to win the cup for thirty years. This season, Fenerbahce set out with the goal of achieving a treble by winning all three of the league title, Turkish Cup, and the Europa League crown, the latter highly coveted by the club's fans as arch-rivals Galatasaray won it in 2000. They were only able to accomplish one leg of the treble by bringing the Turkish cup home, but still gained some limelight at the European competition, as they reached the highest place in club history by playing semi-finals. "We have raised the bar high in Europe," Kocaman said. "From now on, Fenerbahce will go onto the European stage stronger and more confident of themselves," he added. "Titles most deserved" Kocaman said the team experienced difficult times during his term, and thanked everyone involved for their support and solidarity. "The devotion that we had going through all the bitterness that we faced, and the ability to move forward together meant so much," he said, referring to the debate of "rightful champions" that brought the leader Fenerbahce and runners-up Trabzonspor head-to-head over who deserved to be champions at the end of the 2010-11 season. Fenerbahce fully deserved all the cups they won with him, Kocaman said. Fenerbahce became the center of attention for match-fixing allegations directed against them in a sweeping football investigation in summer 2011, as they were sitting atop a record of 16 wins and 1 draw in the 17 matches they played in the second half of the season. Chairman Aziz Yildirim was arrested on charges of match-fixing and forming an illegal organization. As the investigation was going on, Turkish Football Federation withdrew Fenerbahce from the Champions League competition, which subsequently led UEFA to replace the team with second-placed Trabzonspor. Source: Anadolu Agency