Ali Koc on Obradovic’s departure: “We respect the decision, but life has to go on”

Fenerbahce president Ali Koc has spoken to Anadolu News Agency after Zeljko Obradovic departure from the Turkish powerhouse, the timeline of the decision and the prospective for the future.

"In various meetings we had with our coach during mid-season, we agreed to leave the subject of the new contract at the end of the season at his request; at the end of the season we sat at the table with our coach He shared all his thoughts with us sincerely and stated that he would talk to his family and make his final decision. Later, he informed us of his decision and sent his letter on Tuesday night and stated that he did not want to coach anyone next season. We respect this decision of our coach, which upset us all. Obradovic is part of this family: he is one of the most valuable names of Fenerbahce history. In our first game with our fans, we will organize a "thank you" ceremony, our relationship with him will always continue. However, life has to go on and on. With this reality, we have to take the most logical actions quickly within the framework of the goals and realities. In this context, we will find and announce our new coach and roster structure within one month. I think that we will set out on a good path with an energy and an initial story with a coach and player roster with a high "cost – contribution" index. Compared to the previous season, we will necessarily create a lower budget roster", he said.