Okan Buruk hits out at Anfield ban before Liverpool vs Galatasaray

Liverpool go into the second leg needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit, and while the focus will rightly be on what happens on the pitch, the build-up has also been dominated by the away-fan ban that means there will be no official Galatasaray support inside the ground.

That has not stopped plenty of supporters from making their presence felt in the city, with flares, fireworks and chanting seen outside the team hotel on Tuesday night, raising fresh questions over whether any visiting fans could still try to get into the stadium.

Okan Buruk says Galatasaray punishment is ‘not fair’

Speaking in his pre-match press conference via Fanatik, Buruk made it clear he was unhappy with the sanction.

He said: “It was very important that the fans were there, but this is also a motivation.”

The Galatasaray manager then went further in his criticism of the punishment, insisting the wrong people were being affected by UEFA’s decision.

Buruk said: “This penalty is not fair. It’s not right for the Galatasaray fans’ section and it’s not right for Liverpool. Different people are penalized for different people’s mistakes.

“The punishment is not right, not fair. It’s not justified, it’s not right.”

Galatasaray plan to use fan ban as motivation at Anfield

That comment is interesting from a Liverpool perspective because it shows just how much value the Turkish side place on their travelling support.

Buruk has already been discussing Liverpool’s tactical setup in the build-up, including how Florian Wirtz drifts inside and can create problems, so there is no doubt Galatasaray have done their homework.

But losing an away end at Anfield is still significant, especially in a game where the atmosphere could become one of Liverpool’s biggest weapons.

The 52-year-old ended by stressing that his players would still try to perform for those supporters who cannot officially be there.

He said: “We will play here for our fans. They support us wherever we go. We will play for them. This is an important opportunity for us.”

For us, the message is simple.

Galatasaray may see the ban as motivation, but Anfield has to make sure it becomes an advantage for Liverpool instead.