Following a night that redefined Turkish football’s standing on the European stage, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has set his sights on the heavyweights of the English Premier League for the next phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The 52-year-old tactician appeared on talkSPORT on Wednesday afternoon, still buzzing from his side’s seismic 5-2 first-leg triumph over Juventus at a thunderous RAMS Park. Despite trailing 2-1 at the interval, the Turkish champions ignited in the second half, spurred on by a 49th-minute equalizer from Noa Lang that transformed the stadium into a cauldron of noise.
Dreaming of a British Clash
With one foot firmly in the Round of 16, Buruk was asked about his preferred opponents for the next stage. Speaking exclusively on White and Jordan, he admitted he is relishing the prospect of a trip to England.
“I hope that we will pass this play-off and we will play against Tottenham or Liverpool, I don’t know,” Buruk stated. “Last year, we played against Tottenham, we beat them 3-2, this year we played against Liverpool and we beat them 1-0. I hope one of them, I don’t know which one will come but we have good memories against these two teams.”
Reflecting on the sheer scale of the victory over the Italian giants—a club he knew well from his playing days at Inter Milan—Buruk described the evening as a career pinnacle.
“It was a historic night for Galatasaray, the players and for me,” he said. “I was a football player, played in Italy for Inter, where we were rivals with Juventus, it was always a hard game. And last night to win 5-2… after the first half it was 1-2, the second was 4-0 to us, it was an amazing result for the first game. The Champions League is another level but to win against this level of team like Juve, it’s an amazing night for Turkish football.”
The “0-0” Mentality
Despite the three-goal cushion, Buruk was adamant that the job is only half-finished. He credited the unparalleled Istanbul atmosphere for the first-leg result but warned his squad against complacency heading into Turin.
“We analysed very well about the opposite team, but the atmosphere of the stadium in Istanbul is a big experience,” Buruk explained. “You have to be there and feel the atmosphere…it affects our game, we are defending together, we are attacking together and we had a great night. The players are always waiting for the Champions League games, they concentrate more than the Turkish league, all players, everything was perfect. We have to start 0-0 in the second leg, we need to start without anything from the first game and beat them there. This was our first half, we will play our second half now.”
The £75m Difference-Maker
At the center of Galatasaray’s European resurgence is Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian powerhouse, who famously fired Napoli to a Scudetto in 2023, has become the focal point of Buruk’s attacking philosophy, contributing six goals in the competition so far this term.
Buruk was effusive in his praise for the striker, highlighting his unselfishness during the five-goal demolition of Juve.
“He’s a team player, he’s not a striker just playing to score, he’s playing for his team,” Buruk noted. “He scores and makes assists, last night three goals started with him…he can play all of the league and he’s a great person and player. It was a dream for Galatasaray to bring him from Napoli, it was a dream for us. We paid £75m, the first time in Turkish history. That was also a dream…we spent all of our money for him!”
Should Galatasaray navigate the return leg in Italy, the rest of Europe will certainly be wary of the “dream” strike force Buruk has assembled in Istanbul.