Ivorian international defender Serge Aurier has officially declared his departure from Galatasaray, marking the end of his brief stint with the Turkish club, accompanied by a parting shot.
Aurier, who became a free agent on July 1st, bid farewell to Galatasaray after a three-month tenure that saw him arrive amidst celebrations of winning his second continental title during the African Cup of Nations in his homeland.
However, his time in Turkey was marred by a thigh injury, limiting him to just four appearances, with a single start, totaling 71 minutes on the pitch.
Taking to his official Instagram page on Wednesday, Aurier expressed gratitude to the club and its supporters. “Dear supporters, I wanted to first thank you for your patience and love.
Even if it was short, I had a lot of fun of course. I very much regret not having been able to give and show everything I wanted when I arrived here because of my injury that occurred during the AFCON final.
It made me lose a lot of time, but it was the will of God. Al hamdulillah I want to thank the club for trusting me.
A big thank you also to all the employees of the club, the president, the volunteers, the coach and the staff. Thank you for faithfully supporting me throughout this journey,” he conveyed.
Departing with a league and cup double to his name, Aurier praised Galatasaray, emphasizing their championship status in Turkey.
“We finished champions because we are simply the best club in Turkey! You are in my heart for life and I will defend you wherever I am! I think I have nothing more to add, I spoke from the heart, have a good season full of success and happiness, thank you Gala.”
In a subtly pointed remark directed at Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray’s arch-rivals and runners-up in the previous season, Aurier highlighted their recent appointment of his former Tottenham manager, José Mourinho.
“They can have the best coach in the universe, but they will never be better than us,” he asserted.
Aurier’s departure from Galatasaray concludes a chapter marked by both triumph and personal challenge.
His departure statement reflects his appreciation for the club and its supporters, while also asserting his competitive spirit in acknowledging the rivalry with Fenerbahçe.
As Aurier looks ahead to the next phase of his career, his legacy at Galatasaray remains etched in his contributions on and off the pitch during his tenure.
Serge Aurier Galatasaray’a veda etti.
“Ömrüm boyunca kalbimde olacaksınız ve sizi destekleyeceğim. Evrendeki en iyi antrenörü alabilirler ama asla bizden iyi olamazlar. Ahahaha. Michy’ye iyi bakın, kazanan bir takıma geldi ve iyi bir karşılamayı hak ediyor. Hadi ciao!” pic.twitter.com/vnyosueAgZ
— Forza Cimbom (@forzacimbomtr) July 3, 2024
