OBRIGADO ALEX DE SOUZA
Türkiye’ye geldiğinden beri taraflı tarafsız herkesin sevgi ve saygısını kazanmış bir sporcu.
Attığı goller ve verdiği gol pasları ile hatırlanacağı kadar elbet saha dışındaki ağırbaşlılığı da unutulmayacaktır. Ona saygımdan ve evrensel standartlarda büyük bir sporcu olduğundan anadilinde portekizce yazabilmek isterdim bu yazıyı. Her zaman bu taraftar onu hatırlayacaktır. Kazandırdığı kupalar için belki ama ve kaybederken verdiği olgun tepkileri ile de…
With almost one million followers on Twitter, he is arguably one of the most talented football players Brazil has ever produced. He was born in Curitiba in 1977. He has three children and two of them are currently going to school in Istanbul. After winning the Brazilian League title with Cruzeiro in 2003 he was announced to join Fenerbahçe in 2004. Some of the most prominent columnists of the Turkish daily papers literally mocked about his potential signing, claiming he was topping Real Madrid’s transfer list and went as far as stating that the Fenerbahçe reporters are making fun of the Fenerbahçe supporters by making such news “just to increase the sales” of their papers. Basically, the Turkish football was already rocking before ALEX DE SOUZA started wearing the yellow-dark blue jersey.
He finally landed to Istanbul Airport and spent more than 8 glorious seasons with the club.
He won three Turkish League titles, took Fenerbahçe to four Turkish Cup Finals and after a 29 years drought, he won the Turkish Cup last year. He was the top scorer twice and was also assists leader of the UEFA Champions League in 2007-2008. Under Zico’s direction he took the team to the quarter finals the very same season which was unprecedented in Fenerbahçe’s 105 years history. Alex owns a box at the stadium looking down to one of the corner kick spots where his wife and friends come to watch him at each home game. Usually when he scored a goal, he went straight to that corner and that entire section worshipped him as if he was GOD singing :”ALEX ALEX ALEX ALEX ALEX!!!”
Alex was known for his soft nature in the field. The defenders could only stop him tackling harshly. He was the captain of the team for more than 6 years. During his Fenerbahçe career he was red carded only two times reacting to the never ending injuring tackles.
While Juninho of Olympique Lyonnais was still playing his free-kick goals reminded some football columnists the same talent his Brazilian countryman possesed.
He was compared to the club’s legends such as Lefter Küçükandonyadis and Can Bartu. To illustrate this point, few weeks ago, Fenerbahçe fans inaugurated his sculpture, at a park, behind the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium 50 feet away from Lefter’s. He scored his last official goal versus Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Europa League. And played his last game on Saturday evening versus Kasımpaşa after being substituted by Aykut Kocaman whom “the top scorer” title in the club history may remain forever because he sacked ALEX(he was chasing Kocaman,4 more goals were enough for the Brazilian)this morning. Actually since his arrival the former striker and Team Sports Director Aykut Kocaman kept explaining why Fenerbahçe should learn to adapt the post-Alex era. Kocaman tried countless times removing Alex from the starting line-up, however each time he had to give up due to the ineffective and poor offensive play. Last month, he did not call Alex to the Spartak Moscow Champions game line-up and Alex went ahead and criticised the coach of being jealous. The Fenerbahçe top management including Aziz Yildirim(President of the Club) could not manage this ever increasing tension between the two. At a home game,due to a ban of all men, where only the women and children fans were allowed, all the fans started cheering : “Kocaman tell us, where is Alex?”. The President stepped into the pitch and took a microphone to intervene: “to stop this way of protesting” and “keep defending Fenerbahçe’s interest that are above any player”.
Around 5.30pm(Turkish local time) this afternoon Fenerbahçe fans around the world got the news. Alex and Fenerbahçe mutually terminated the contract. Lot could be said and written about this sportsman and gentleman. Not much will bring him back to the club and to the pitch.
After his first title in 2005, with a bunch of friend, we went to the night club where the team was partying. I saw him next to his adorable wife(who was the daughter of the Coritiba’s President, Alex’ first pro team). I asked for his signature. He signed my jersey which I will surely pass on to my son. However I will never be able to explain in greater details his intelligence and sportsmanship on and off the pitch. He was truly a LEGEND.
LEGENDS LIVE FOREVER.
OBRIGADO ALEX DE SOUZA!
I always saw Alex as a future Manager at the club.
His commitment and dedication have been outstanding, not a fair way to end his great run at the club.
Fenerbahce’s loss, some other club will now benefit from having this outstanding player in their midst.