Gunes will not manage Turkish national team: Besiktas

By Hilmi Sever

ISTANBUL

Besiktas on Monday rejected a proposal by the Turkish Football Federation that the team’s coach manage the national team for the four remaining matches of World Cup qualification.

A statement published on the club's official website said the federation had offered the position to Senol Gunes following the departure of renowned manager Fatih Terim.

"It was agreed by club chairman Fikret Orman and our manager Senol Gunes that filling the manager’s position for the national football team for four matches while at the same time being Besiktas manager would not contribute to either side, neither to our proud national football team nor Besiktas, who will represent our country in the Champions League,” according to the statement.

The federation responded, saying the decision was "respectable."

Last Wednesday, Fatih Terim and the Turkish Football Federation parted ways as Terim ended his three-year tenure as national team manager.

“Recently, several non-football related topics that occupied media coverage have come to a state of wearing out Turkish Football Director Fatih Terim and the Turkish Football Federation,” the Turkish Football Federation said in a statement on its website.

Terim returned to coaching the national side in 2013, his third spell in charge. But he has failed to achieve the same success of his second tenure, when Turkey reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008.

Turkey currently sits at third place in 2018 World Cup Qualification Stage Group I with 11 points.