Trabzonspor's quest to repeat as champions of the Turkish Süper League has hit a major roadblock after Saturday’s 2-1 away loss to Atakaş Hatayspor.
The team, who finished last season with 49 points in the 20-game division, currently sits at 35 points in the same period this season.
Last season, Trabzonspor took the top spot on the scoreboard with 15 wins, four draws and a single loss in 20 matches, ending a 37-year championship drought.
However, this season, they have only managed 10 wins, five draws and five losses in 20 games and currently sit in sixth place.
Trabzonspor manager, Abdullah Avcı, emphasized the importance of organization within the club following the match against Hatay.
"We extend our sincerest apologies to our fans, particularly those who made the effort to attend the match today. Our recent string of losses and lack of energy on the field have been disappointing, and we are committed to finding solutions and improving our performance.
He acknowledged that the team has been struggling with energy and motivation, and apologized to fans for their recent losses.
Avcı acknowledged that the club is currently going through a difficult period, and emphasized the need to focus on building a sustainable situation, rather than making hasty transfers.
“We want to assure our fans that our current roster is composed of dedicated and talented players, but we acknowledge that there is a discrepancy in our fighting spirit, energy, and character. We will work to address these issues and strive to deliver a better performance in the future. We also extend our congratulations to our opponents for their hard-fought victory," he said.
He added that the club needs a strong foundation, rather than relying on transfers to improve performance.
"Transfer activity is not the solution at this time. We need to prioritize the long-term success and stability of the club. We must carefully consider the decisions we make and not rely on the belief that adding a single player will solve all our problems. We must strive for a holistic and well-rounded approach.”
One major difference between this season and last is the team's performance on offense and defense. Last season, Trabzonspor scored 37 goals and conceded 14, but this season they have only scored 31 goals while conceding 27. This means that the team has scored six fewer goals and conceded 13 more goals compared to last season.
Trabzonspor's struggles are also evident in their record of losses. Last season, the team lost only 3 times in 38 matches, but this season they have already lost 5 times in 20 matches. Some of their notable losses this season include a 5-2 defeat to Antalyaspor, a 3-2 loss to Adana Demirspor, and a 4-1 loss to VavaCars Fatih Karagümrük.
The team's struggles on the road have been particularly damaging to their championship hopes. Trabzonspor has collected 24 points in 10 home matches but has only managed to get 11 points in 10 away matches, a run of poor form that has lasted for 120 days.
With a 13-point gap between them and league leaders Galatasaray, Trabzonspor will need to turn things around quickly if they hope to defend their title.
