Super Eagles star Osayi-Samuel laments "injustice" in Fenerbahçe's title chase

The rivalry between Istanbul giants Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray is one of football's most heated, with the two clubs having dominated Turkish football for decades, collectively winning 44 league championships. 

However, in recent years, Galatasaray have gained the upper hand, securing six titles in the last eleven seasons, while Fenerbahçe's last league triumph was in the 2013/14 season.

The Cim Bom are also on the verge of winning the Turkish League title for the 2025/2026 season after claiming a 3-0 victory over Fenerbahçe on Sunday.

The 2023/24 season was particularly agonising for the Yellow Canaries. Over 38 matches, they suffered only a single defeat, winning 31 games and drawing six. 

Yet, their impressive 99-point total was not enough, as Galatasaray clinched the title with a record-breaking 102 points.

At the time, then-Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal suggested that off-field issues were to blame for the near miss. "We couldn’t overcome the invisible hands off the field," Kartal stated in a press conference. 

"Ninety-nine points and 99 goals—these earned points will not be forgotten by the Fenerbahçe community. My players showed that they are the real champions. Everyone saw that we are the champions of hearts."

Reflecting on his four years in Turkey, Osayi-Samuel echoed his former coach's sentiments. "I had heard about the injustices done to Fenerbahçe in the league before joining the team," Osayi-Samuel said in a recent interview. 

"But that season with İsmail Kartal made me think, ‘Okay, I can see for myself what the club is talking about.’ It was a truly bizarre situation for a club to get 99 points, lose only once, and still not win the league."

He added, "I think this had never happened before. I could understand what the president and the club were saying about the referees and the system. 

“As players, we had to keep playing because we couldn’t change those factors. It didn’t affect my individual game, but I understood the club’s perspective."

Osayi-Samuel has since moved on from Fenerbahçe, joining an English Championship club last summer where he has made 26 appearances this season, providing one assist.