Gheorghe Hagi's appointment as Galatasaray coach in October was meant to be the catalyst to save a season which had seen Cim Bom fall into the bottom-half of the Turkish SuperLig.
However, Adnan Polat's decision to sack Rijkaard and replace him with Hagi back-fired and the Turkish giants are back to square-one with just a few months of the season remaining.
Under Hagi, Galatasaray won just 6 games from 19 in the Turkish SuperLig conceding 23 goals in the process. Defeats to bitter rivals Fenerbahce and Ankaragucu saw Aslanlar drop to 11th position in the SuperLig and increasing pressure from supporters and directors forced Polat into axing the Romanian legend.
Whether Galatasaray’s slump is down to Hagi’s managerial abilities or the players he has at his disposal is up for debate, but the timing of Hagi’s sacking comes at an interesting time.
There are only nine games left in the SuperLig and Galatasaray may struggle to get their desired coach so close to the “business-end” of the football calendar. As always with a managerial vacancy, a number of names have been tossed into the ring including former Galatasaray coaches Fatih Terim and Mircea Lucescu, the latter employed by Champions League Quarter-Finalists Shakhtar Donestk.
Other names have included Bursaspor’s talented head coach Ertugul Saglam who famously led Bursa to the SuperLig on the final day of last season.
Bülent Ünder has been handed the reins until the end of the season after reports suggested that Hagi’s assistant Tugay Kerimoğlu had turned down the opportunity to take the job. Tugay has been placed in charge of youth teams and will assist Ünder with first-team responsibilities.
More importantly though, the continued instability is clearly becoming a problem for Galatasaray and their form this season would certainly show a lack of continuity amongst the players and staff at the club. Cim Bom have had seven coaches in just four years – and in that time only once finished inside the top three.
The club may be taking a step in the right direction, however, with club elections on the horizon to find a new leader to take over from Adnan Polat and recently resigned Sporting Director Adnan Sezgin.
Cim Bom will be hoping for a similar reaction as to Faruk Suren's election as Club President in 1996 where Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup, European Super Cup and four consecutive SuperLig titles in his five years at the helm. Suren's regime inspired by players such as Taffarel, Jardel, Gheorghe Hagi and head coach Fatih Terim.
It is imperative for Galatasaray to take advantage of this wind of change that might be the key factor in creating a solid championship challenge next season and beyond. A new president, a younger coach and a host of new players must be top of the agenda for the incoming man at the top of the tree.
Galatasaray have A LOT of catching up to do on rivals Fenerbahce and Besiktas in the next four months until the start of next season.