Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has clarified that the substitution of star striker Victor Osimhen during their thrilling 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur was not a tactical decision, but rather a response to the player’s fatigue.
Osimhen, who scored a brace to lead Galatasaray to the victory, was taken off in the 80th minute, much to the disappointment of the home crowd. However, Buruk explained that the Nigerian international had initiated the substitution request due to exhaustion.
“We scored here. Maybe we could have reached 7-8 goals in the second half. We missed very clear opportunities. After that, we got tired. We changed Mertens. He had received a yellow card, we were afraid of him (getting a red card),” Buruk said.
“Then Osimhen wanted to go out. Of course, the crowd reacted here. Osimhen got tired and wanted to go out himself. He had trained for two days. We have another match in three days.”
The manager also stressed that he was proud of the team’s performance. “The positions we took, the goals we missed… With the ball possession and the things we did in terms of football, we played with statistics that Tottenham hadn’t given to its opponents for a long time. I am very proud in this sense.”
The manager further emphasized that Osimhen’s limited training time (just two days) influenced the decision to substitute him, ensuring he would be fresh for their upcoming league match against Samsunspor on Sunday.
Since joining the Turkish giants late in the summer on loan from Italian side Napoli, Osimhen has had 10 goals contributions (six goals and four assists) in eight games for Galatasaray.
