What Victor Osimhen said is a shame for Fenerbahçe – Çelikler

Turkish football pundit Serdar Ali Çelikler has delivered a strong and cutting verdict on Fenerbahçe following their heavy derby defeat to a Victor Osimhen-inspired Galatasaray, Afrik-Foot reports.

The respected commentator descried the comments made by Victor Osimhen after the Intercontinental derby as a ‘shame’ for Fenerbahçe.

The Istanbul derby at RAMS Park was expected to be a tight and tense contest, especially with the Süper Lig title race still alive. Fenerbahçe, sitting second before the game, knew a win would bring them closer to Galatasaray at the top. Instead, they were outplayed, outfought, and ultimately beaten 3-0 in a one-sided encounter.

The turning point came just before half-time. After missing a penalty in the 13th minute through Anderson Talisca, Fenerbahçe struggled to recover. Osimhen punished them in the 40th minute, finishing from close range to give Galatasaray the lead. From that moment, the balance of the match shifted completely.

Things worsened in the second half. A red card for goalkeeper Ederson in the 62nd minute left Fenerbahçe with ten men, and Galatasaray took full advantage. Barış Alper Yılmaz converted a penalty in the 67th minute, before Lucas Torreira wrapped up the victory with a third goal late on.

But for Çelikler, the biggest blow to Fenerbahçe’s pride came after the final whistle.

Osimhen: ‘A shameful comment’ that cuts deep

Reacting to Osimhen’s claim that Galatasaray’s training sessions were tougher than the derby itself, Çelikler did not hold back in his criticism. The analyst urged Fenerbahçe to be fueled by the comments in building a stronger team next season.

“Osimhen’s statement, ‘We were less tired in this match than in training,’ is a shameful comment for Fenerbahçe. I’ll take that quote from Osimhen and tell everyone about it all year long, and build my squad accordingly,” he said as per Habersarikirmizi.

Çelikler believes Osimhen’s comments reflect a deeper problem within Fenerbahçe’s squad and mentality. In his view, a team chasing the title cannot afford to be described in such a way by their biggest rivals.

Çelikler also used the moment to make a bold prediction about how the season will end, pointing out just how damaging the defeat could be for Fenerbahçe.

“Galatasaray became champions. Congratulations. Fenerbahçe will finish 3rd, Trabzonspor 2nd, and Beşiktaş will win the Turkish Cup. Galatasaray won the derby very comfortably. They scored 5 goals in total, 2 of which were offside.”

While he acknowledged the quality on display, including praise for several Galatasaray players, he returned to Osimhen as the central figure of the night.

“Leroy Sane was the best player of the match, but it was Osimhen who broke the deadlock and made it 1-0. Jakobs played very well, Sanchez wasn’t bad, Yunus Akgün and Sallai were good, but my vote goes to Osimhen.”

He ended with a broader reflection on the Super Eagles striker’s character and professionalism.

“I watched a fantastic footballer. A player who didn’t do a single pointless thing throughout the season, who showed no disrespect to the fans or his opponents. His work ethic is top-notch. If he ever leaves Galatasaray, he will leave with dignity.”

Galatasaray need only a win from their final three league matches to seal their 26th Super Lig title and the fourth on the bounce.