The Champion of Hearts

 With İlhan Palut taking charge of the team, Konyaspor, showing everyone that football is still a game of organization, belief and character, was eliminated in a very unlucky way in the Ziraat Turkish Cup final played in Antalya.

Even a change of head coach could not be a remedy for Konyaspor, who started the season badly. After Recep Uçar, Çağdaş Atan, who arrived with great expectations to stop the poor run, constantly made the community ask the question of whether we would be relegated this season.

The management knew the only person who could be the remedy for Konyaspor’s troubles. They reached an agreement with İlhan Palut to complete the unfinished story. With Palut, the offended community came back to life again. Defeating leader Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor, Konyaspor, just like Enis Bardhi’s penalty that came back from the post, was almost denied by the post in the final.

Considering the struggle Konyaspor put forward this season and the great unity it created in the city, it never deserved to lose the cup. In fact, as many football lovers would also accept, it was one of the sides that deserved to win the cup more than Trabzonspor.

There was the same excitement, the same hope and the same expectation in every corner of the city. The team had been sent off from Konya with prayers, politics had given the necessary support, and the fans who came to Antalya days before had almost carried the city to Antalya. After the final whistle, perhaps the only issue talked about more than the result was the show of Konyaspor fans in the stands. That cup should have come to this city.

Konyaspor played well, made good passes, and even Bardhi, who missed the penalty, had two clear chances he missed, one of which could have been offside. Konyaspor wanted to win very much but was eliminated in an unlucky way.

Coach İlhan did not only play a final match in Antalya; he once again proved that Konyaspor would be a much more ambitious team this season. We, too, witnessed this pride in Antalya and felt proud.

Yes, Trabzonspor won the cup, but Konyaspor wrote one of the stories that will not be forgotten for many years. Our representative left behind a story much more valuable than the cup with what it made its community experience.

Thank you for your efforts, boys, for what you made us experience!