Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk criticised Ismail Jakobs and expressed strong frustration toward Senegal’s management of the defender after the full-back left Tuesday night’s Champions League match against Union Saint-Gilloise with an injury.
Jakobs started the game despite ankle pain and a recent calf issue that kept him out of the league fixture against Gençlerbirliği.
He could not continue beyond the 53rd minute. He walked out of RAMS Park with heavy bandaging on his right leg, and Buruk insisted he should not have featured at all.
Buruk explained that he selected Jakobs only because Eren Elmalı became unavailable following a 45-day suspension from the Turkish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee for illegal betting.
He said this unexpected situation forced him to rely on the Senegalese defender despite his ongoing discomfort.
The Galatasaray coach stated that Jakobs’ injury concerns emerged immediately during the match.
“Ismail felt pain in his ankle from the beginning and asked to come off as a precaution.
He will take tests and we will learn the exact outcome,” Buruk said after the 1-0 loss.
Buruk then launched a fierce critique of national team handling of players, using Victor Osimhen’s recent return from Nigeria duty as an example.
He argued that clubs suffer the consequences when international sides fail to manage footballers responsibly.
“We send our players to the national team, and they come back injured.
The national teams show more negligence than we do. We pay their salaries, and they still do whatever they want. The clubs face the problems that follow,” he said.
Buruk clarified that he respects the significance of international football but stressed that Jakobs’ and Osimhen’s situations placed Galatasaray in a difficult position.
“I understand the importance of national teams. Representing your country matters, and every player wants to give everything.
But the injuries to Jakobs and Osimhen created real trouble for us,” he added.
Buruk also confirmed that the four Galatasaray players heading to AFCON Ismail Jakobs, Victor Osimhen, Wilfried Singo and Mario Lemina will leave after the match against Antalyaspor on 13 December.
