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Ahmet Çakar, the Former Turkish referee, has criticised Galatasaray’s performance against Barcelona, arguing that Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen should not bear the blame for the club’s heavy defeat in the UEFA Champions League.
Galatasaray suffered a 4-1 loss to the Spanish giants at Rams Park on Tuesday, with Osimhen struggling to make a significant impact despite playing the entire match.
The Nigerian forward, who recently returned from injury, found it difficult to penetrate Barcelona’s defence and was repeatedly caught offside as the visitors maintained a high defensive line.
Reacting to the performance on Libero TV’s YouTube channel, Çakar insisted that Osimhen’s quality was not in doubt, suggesting that the striker could excel in even the most competitive leagues if given the necessary support.
The former referee questioned the service provided to the 2023 African Footballer of the Year during the encounter, arguing that the team’s overall display made it difficult for the forward to produce his usual attacking threat.
Osimhen had enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign before his injury setback, registering six goals and two assists in four league appearances for the Turkish champions. He also provided an assist in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Kasimpasa following his return to action.
However, the defeat to Barcelona exposed the difficulties the striker faced against the Spanish side, prompting criticism from sections of the club’s supporters.
Çakar’s intervention has shifted attention towards Galatasaray’s collective performance and the need to create better scoring opportunities for their leading forward as the club continues its Champions League campaign.
