The Success of Trabzonspor U19 Raises Questions About TFF’s Structure
The great success of Trabzonspor U19 has brought the structure of the Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) Education Department and Youth National Teams Department into question.
In the past, TFF had great football minds who implemented significant reforms and managed these processes based on merit.
The autonomy of TFF, the establishment of Regional Directorates, the formation of the Central Referee Committee, the structuring of Youth National Teams, the foundation of the Clubs Association, the reforms in the Education Department, the structuring of TÜFAD, and many other projects were the successful outcomes of this system in the past.
During the formation of these reforms, esteemed football figures such as Tamer Güney, Özkan Sümer, Gündüz Tekin Onay, and Metin Türel made great contributions to Turkish football and served as advisors to TFF administrations with their football expertise.
Today, however, the lack of such football intellect within TFF’s structure has become clearly evident.
The events and discussions surrounding the Youth National Teams openly highlight this deficiency. National teams should not be a place for internships. They should not turn into an opportunity for those without proper coaching diplomas. The national team system should not be used as a stepping stone for quick promotion to the Süper Lig.
Under the management of Head Coach Mehmet Ak, the success of Trabzonspor U19 has once again demonstrated that Turkey possesses some of the most talented young players in the world. However, these young players should be trained by the best coaches. The Turkish National Team’s youth categories must be led by the country’s top football experts. For instance, in Spain, the U21 team’s head coach has been part of the organization for eight years.
Such a reform would undoubtedly propel Turkish football to a much higher level.
