Özköylü: We Have Players Who Have Not Been Paid Their Wages

Antalyaspor drew 1-1 with Bursaspor at home in Week 14 of the Trendyol 1st League. After the match, head coach Osman Özköylü said his side had competed well against a strong opponent. Özköylü said that in the first half they had at times struggled to defend against the opponent's influential players, and that in the second half they changed their game plan and became more effective.

Özköylü said, "We had clear chances. We created more clear opportunities than Bursaspor. Despite everything, we had a lot of players missing. Our players who took the field in the absence of four important players fought with great dedication. I am very happy with my players' performance." The head coach, who stressed that the team has improved physically, said their fighting strength increases every week and that they want to crown this performance with victories.

Özköylü said reports that players refused to train during the week do not reflect the truth, adding, "We have players who have not been paid since the start of the season. It is natural that this situation causes some mental difficulties. However, despite the hardship they are going through, our players do justice to their shirts and continue to serve Antalyaspor."

Bursaspor head coach Mustafa Er said they were disappointed with the draw. Er noted that the opponent did not create a goal threat in the first half, saying, "In the first half we should have been 2-3 goals ahead and the opponent should have been down to 9 or 10 men. The refereeing was very poor." Er admitted that they played badly between the 45th and 60th minutes of the second half, saying, "Unfortunately we concede goals without giving the opponent any chances. In this sense we are very generous. When we evaluate the 90 minutes, we played well for 75 minutes and gave the game to the opponent for 15 minutes." Er said he believes they will win in the remaining five weeks and finish the first half of the season as leaders.