Dr. Ferhat Gündoğdu, President of the Central Referee Committee (MHK) of the Turkish Football Federation, had a meeting with students and football stakeholders at Near East University. Dr. Gündoğdu, who spoke about the refereeing controversy as well as his personal career, said, “There’s talk of a demand for foreign referees in the VAR system, but this stems from a lack of trust. We must trust our own people. Those who make mistakes will be punished, and a solution will be found, but we must allow the system to develop within itself.”
Dr. Ferhat Gündoğdu, President of the Central Referee Committee of the Turkish Football Federation, was the guest of the talk titled “A Sports Manager’s Professional Journey” organized in collaboration with the Sports Sciences Research Center and the Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching at Near East University’s Faculty of Sport Sciences. He shared his experiences in sports management with the students. Emphasizing the importance of discipline, ethics, leadership, and communication in sports, Dr. Ferhat Gündoğdu said, he advised young people to be patient, consistent, and visionary in their career planning, saying, “Value yourself, you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.”
The talk, moderated by Dr. Hüseyin Güneralp, Vice Head of the Coach Education Department at the Near East University Faculty of Sports Sciences, drew a large turnout. The event was attended by Mustafa Abitoğlu, President of the Northern Cyprus Water Sports Federation, TRNC Super League referees, TED Sports Academy coaches, and numerous students. At the end of the talk, Prof. Dr. Nazım Serkan Burgul, Dean of the Near East University Faculty of Sports Sciences, presented Dr. Ferhat Gündoğdu with a plaque of appreciation.
We must allow the system to develop on its own!
The talk included Dr. Güneralp, President of the Turkish Football Federation Central Referee Board, who commented on the approach to referees in Turkey. Ferhat Gündoğdu emphasized the sustainability of the refereeing system: “Many referees working in the Super League are successfully representing the system today. Training and recruiting new referees is difficult in Turkey, as it is in the TRNC. Candidate referees apply on their own, have no social rights, and refereeing is not sustainable as a profession. I wish we had. Therefore, we must appreciate our good referees and trust them. There’s talk of a demand for foreign referees in the VAR system, but this stems from a lack of trust. We must trust our own people. Anyone who makes a mistake will be punished, a solution will be found, but we must allow the system to develop within itself.”
“Sports is a locksmith, it solves every problem and opens every door.”
Dr. Gündoğdu explained that his sports career began in childhood as a goalkeeper at a gravel school. He then went on to undergo an education shaped by discipline and endurance at a military school. He noted that he was interested in many branches, including wrestling, handball, javelin, basketball, volleyball, and skiing. Ferhat Gündoğdu said, “I love the challenge and find myself in sports. My soul is refreshed, and I discovered that I’m happy. I couldn’t break away from sports.” He added that he now only walks due to health issues, but his passion for sports remains immense. Dr. Gündoğdu stated, “Sports is like a locksmith, it solves every problem and opens every door.” and explained that success in management begins with the ability to manage oneself and those around oneself. “Think about your aptitude and the areas you can advance in. Be sure to have management experience and combine it with education. Expand your vision, be open-minded, and keep up with innovations.”
“You may not be able to completely change the system, but you can be a good leader.”
Dr. Gündoğdu emphasized that sports management in Turkey has generally not advanced sufficiently. However, he emphasized that women play a critical role in the development of sports, saying, “When women’s in-depth perspective meets men’s superficial perspective, sports progress faster. Football, however, is a completely different field, other branches only have successes that are meant to save the day.” Addressing young people, Dr. Gündoğdu emphasized the need to integrate sports into their lifestyles, saying, “You may not be able to completely change the system, but you can be good leaders. You can achieve great success by influencing children and their families who participate in sports.”
