Basketball & politics: about Sertac Sanli’s case

The Turkish big man, Sertac Sanli signed 2 years with FC Barcelona and I think this was the right decision for both sides. Sanli improved a lot in the last 2 years and it was a nice surprise of this season. He is tall, quite fast for 2.12 m, has a good hand and motivation. He can play excellent pick and roll, being dangerous from all the spots in offense.

That’s why Anadolu Efes would have liked to keep him for the season to come. In this process of convincing him to stay in Turkey was involved also the president of the country, Erdogan. He advised Sanli to keep with Efes, asking the player why would he have wanted to go from the champions to second place in Euroleague?

The involvement of president Erdogan in this trade of the player proves once again that Turkey is still an archaic country. Where the hell in the world the president will try to put pressure on a player to stay with a club instead of going abroad?

I will try to answer Erdogan’s question. Why does a player want to leave Efes in order to sign with FC Barcelona?

There are 2 main reasons:

• Sanli has now the chance of a new cultural experience, to live for at least 2 years in a developed country, from Western Europe. I don’t think Turkey can be compared with what Barcelona as a city can offer to you. The everyday lifestyle cannot be compared.
• Efes is the reigning champions but next year they won’t win again the Euroleague. They reached the top of a circle that starts a couple of years ago and now they will start to descend back slowly. It was an impressive thing to see that team being on the last spot of the Euroleague for one season and they playing the finals and reaching to take the title. But the circle is over.

Sanli went now from the champions to the next Euroleague champions. Great move!

Image credit: Bein Sports