Sağlam's resignation was not unexpected, especially after Ukraine's Metalist Kharkiv mesmerized the visiting Eagles 4-1 in the second match of their UEFA Cup first round tie on Thursday -- a result that sent the Eagles crashing out of the competition.
The former Beşiktaş coach, reading from a prepared statement at an emotional press conference on Tuesday said, "When I first came here, we made a two-and-a-half year plan and despite all the setbacks I regard my term as successful, especially the last season."

And Sağlam, listing the reasons he thought his era at Beşiktaş was a success, said: "We beat soccer powerhouses like Liverpool FC and Olympique Marseille. This season started quite well as we were able to complete the transfers that we wanted. Now when we look at the league table, we are three points ahead of our archrival Galatasaray and eight points clear of Fenerbahçe.

"The 4-1 UEFA Cup loss to Metalist really disappointed us. And so I apologize to all Beşiktaş fans and the Turkish nation for this result. I believe I represented Beşiktaş in the best possible way and I could have resigned four days earlier, but the game against Hacettepe [on Monday] was important. I wanted to say farewell with a win," he added.

Most soccer coaches rarely know the downsides of their profession until they come to İstanbul, where winning only the league championship is regarded as success. So beating and being beaten by Liverpool, leading Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in the league after six weeks and all the other reasons Sağlam stated at the press conference count for nothing. They only matter if they are supported by Turkcell Super League silverware.

We have used this example before and are using it again: Coaching the İstanbul "Big Three" -- Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş -- resembles the Turkish film in which Munir Özkul, the late Adile Naşit, Zeki Alasya and the late Kemal Sunal play villagers who come to Istanbul to find gold that is lying underground. Though this film was made over two decades ago, the reality of it has not changed. Finding that gold lying underground means clinching the league crown -- anything else is a mere illusion.

Jumping the gun

Sağlam, a former Beşiktaş player and captain, started his coaching career at Samsunspor and then moved on to Kayserispor in 2005. He was successful at Kayserispor, leading the team to fifth place in the league in his first season. The following year, Sağlam's Kayserispor made history by becoming the first ever Turkish team to qualify for the UEFA Cup via the now-defunct Intertoto Cup.

Maybe, just maybe, Sağlam jumped the gun by hastily abandoning his successful career at Kayserispor and rushing to Beşiktaş in May of last year. He should have known that the İstanbul "Big Three" are extremely merciless and intolerant with coaches because of the immense pressure on them from doomsayers in the sports media, club administrators and demanding fans.

Sağlam should have learned the lessons from what had befallen dozens of his predecessors, both local and foreign, at Beşiktaş and at the other two rival clubs in İstanbul, before making the move to İstanbul. Most importantly, he should have learned from the experiences of former Fenerbahçe players Ridvan "Devil" Dilmen and the current national team's assistant coach Oğuz "the Emperor" Çetin, who were hired by their former club Fenerbahçe only to be fired after a short while.

Dilmen, appointed Fenerbahçe coach in 2000, lasted only five weeks and was forced to resign after the Canaries made an early exit in the UEFA Cup. Çetin was Fenerbahçe assistant coach in 2002 under German Werner Lorant. After the German was fired that year, Çetin was brought to the helm but he too was soon shown the door. History does indeed repeat itself in İstanbul and this is maybe what Sağlam has now unfortunately realized.

Coaching at any of the İstanbul "Big Three" is definitely not something for the fainthearted.


Todayszaman