Following Fenerbahçe's stunning 3-0 loss to their city archrivals Galatasaray, a wave of discontent and rebellion swept through the Yellow-Navy Blues camp, pushing their point difference with their hated rivals to a staggering 4.
Amid a chorus of boos and shouts of discontent from the stands, a small faction of the Yellow Canaries faithful vented their rage toward club President Ali Koç and some toward goalkeeper Altay Bayındır over the goals he had conceded.
The emphatic victory for log leaders Galatasaray in the derby will be a source of deep-seated pain for the passionate Fenerbahçe fans, with goals from Sergio Oliveira, Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Mauro Icardi compounding the misery of seeing their pivotal midfielder Irfan Can Kahveci watching from the stands due to a red card suspension.
Another name who earned his fair share of criticism after the disheartening defeat was none other than the Yellow Canaries' manager, Jorge Jesus.
Receiving harsh criticism from both the fans and the media, Jorge Jesus, the Portuguese coach of Fenerbahçe, faced immense pressure from the club's management after Galatasaray's defeat. As a result, a critical meeting was immediately called with Jesus to discuss his choice of players and game plan.
After the final whistle, coach Jorge Jesus declared his willingness to take ownership of the outcome, saying, "Galatasaray were the superior side. Fenerbahçe made unusual errors and failed to seize the advantage when presented with the opportunity. It is I who must answer for the defeat – not the players, and certainly not the president, who has shown me such faith by traveling all the way to Portugal to plead with me to join him here. This setback shall not fracture our solidarity."
He added: "If there's any culpability for this defeat, it must rest squarely upon my shoulders. We were top in the league up until recently, but our opponents have now surpassed us. The tension was palpable in the second half, and things simply weren't going our way. This match may not decide who will be crowned champion, as the margin of four points isn't overly decisive given that they're leading by five. Our stance on the transfer will remain unchanged. I have come from behind in my career before to win a championship, and I have also been in the lead and lost a championship. Either way, this loss must be mine to bear."
Following a resounding defeat, Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç has taken the unprecedented step of convening a meeting with head coach Jorge Jesus to discuss the reasons for the team's disappointing performance and to devise a plan for rectifying the situation.
The club's management have been unwavering in their support of the Portuguese tactician, and the meeting is expected to further strengthen the commitment between the two parties.
The meeting, set to take place in the coming days, will be a critical juncture in which the transfer issue will be discussed in detail.
It has been revealed that Koç has indicated his willingness to open his wallet in order to make the necessary reinforcements to the team, which fell 4 points behind and revealed its shortcomings.
It is expected that Fenerbahçe will acquire at least two or three new players, with the focus being placed on strengthening the defense, left-back and striker positions.
Jesus' 3 mistakes
Fenerbahçe Coach Jorge Jesus has been subject to heavy scrutiny from the footballing public following the derby, with three of his glaring missteps receiving the brunt of the criticism.
The Portuguese tactician's errors in judgment have been pointed out as the primary source of the ire, with the following mistakes singled out for condemnation.
Firstly, since the onset of the season, he has been steadfast in his adherence to the same game plan.
When Plan B failed, abysmal scores ensued, as the opponents had become well-versed in Fenerbahçe's strategies and unfortunately, Jesus had always remained a helpless bystander.
To further compound the issue, the trio of defenders held their ground despite the persistent deficiencies in their defensive structures.
Trabzonspor adopted the same formation when they faced Galatasaray, but unfortunately to no avail, as they were ultimately overwhelmed by the visitors.
And finally, despite his best efforts, he could not find a way to break the goal-scoring stalemate in the high-stakes, challenging matches.
This season, Fenerbahçe have only won one match against the big teams of Konya, Başakşehir, Beşiktaş, Trabzon and Galatasaray, yet their goal tally has only amounted to a single score.