Liverpool wanted World Cup All-Star but he turned down move for key reason

World Cups are ideal opportunities for clubs to scout the best talent on offer when the domestic season concludes. The 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan was no exception as Hasan Sas starred en route to a memorable finish for Turkey. Sas and Turkey had their greatest ever World Cup campaign in 2002Getty The winger managed five goal contributions in six matchesAFP Manager Senol Gunes guided his country to their best-ever finish of third in just their second World Cup appearance. One of Turkey’s key performers was Sas, the then 25-year-old winger from Galatasaray who scored two goals and assisted another three, including one strike against Brazil. He was selected in the tournament’s All-Star squad, which also featured stars including Oliver Kahn, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldo. And he even placed above Ronaldinho and Cafu in the Ballon d’Or rankings for 2002. Sas’ performances caught the eye of top sides across Europe, with English giants Liverpool one of the known admirers. As quoted by Sky Sports, his agent Hakan Azman told planetfootball about the mounting interest in his client: “It is an unusual situation. “Normally I would not have any trouble selling a player such as Hasan Sas. His brilliant World Cup meant that many clubs became admirers. “But when they saw that his contract expired in the summer [of 2003] they decided to wait. Liverpool did make enquiries into the player, but did not make a realistic offer at the time.” Sas, who was also of reported interest to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, stayed at Galatasaray and never joined Liverpool, a move many players would have difficulty in turning down. But he stayed in Turkey, snubbing the Reds because of the finances offered, despite the global prominence they had boasted for decades. Liverpool, who won the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Community Shield and Super Cup the year before, had their eye on SasGetty But Sas remained with Galatasaray for financial reasonsGetty “I met with many agents after the 2002 World Cup,” he said in an interview with SKY Turk via Hurriyet. “They all came to take me to a team in Europe. But now I understand that they were not all big-time agents. “Despite this, Liverpool wanted me. Although my transfer fee was high, there were other offers. “However, due to the economic crisis, the money they were going to give me was much lower than what I would earn in Turkey. “But if I had the mind I have now, I would have accepted this offer. If I were 25 now, I would have accepted that little money and left without a second thought.” Sas first joined Galatasaray from Turkish club MKE Ankaragucu in 1998 but missed a large chunk of games in his first year after testing positive for the banned substance phenylpropanolamine. Galatasaray faced tough financial issues but Sas stayed loyal to the clubAFP He earned 40 caps for Turkey before retiringAFP He returned for the 1999/2000 season to win the Turkish league title and the UEFA Cup [now the Europa League] beating Arsenal in the final. Manager Fatih Terim then left for Fiorentina in Italy but returned in 2002, only for Galatasaray’s European pedigree to slowly diminish. Bagis Erten, a commentator for Istanbul-based radio station Acik Radyo, told Al Jazeera in 2004: “It was a bad choice bringing [Terim] back.” Erten added: “While Galatasaray won the UEFA cup, there was nothing more behind that. The system behind the team was very weak, especially the financial system.” Columnist Semih Gumus also commented: “A world class team was created by Fatih Terim, but not a world class club. “That’s why now, with debts of some $150million, Galatasaray has become the most in debt club in Turkey.” “To start winning again, the club needs to put the right players in the right places,” Gumus also said. “Yet Galatasaray’s budget is shot. “Without the budget to transfer the right players, next year, Galatasaray’s 100th anniversary, the team will be in deep trouble.” Financial issues at the club didn’t seem to affect Sas though, as he remained at Galatasaray for the rest of his career before retiring in 2009. He won five Turkish league titles in total with the club, as well as three Turkish Cups, a Turkish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Sas made 354 appearances, scoring 38 goals and assisting a further 95, and returned for off-pitch roles in the following years. The former Turkey international was their assistant manager in two stints from 2011 to 2013, and then 2018 until 2020.

Musventurenal

0 2

Liverpool wanted World Cup All-Star but he turned down move for key reason

World Cups are ideal opportunities for clubs to scout the best talent on offer when the domestic season concludes.

The 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan was no exception as Hasan Sas starred en route to a memorable finish for Turkey.

Sas and Turkey had their greatest ever World Cup campaign in 2002

The winger managed five goal contributions in six matches

Manager Senol Gunes guided his country to their best-ever finish of third in just their second World Cup appearance.

One of Turkey’s key performers was Sas, the then 25-year-old winger from Galatasaray who scored two goals and assisted another three, including one strike against Brazil.

He was selected in the tournament’s All-Star squad, which also featured stars including Oliver Kahn, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldo.

And he even placed above Ronaldinho and Cafu in the Ballon d’Or rankings for 2002.

Sas’ performances caught the eye of top sides across Europe, with English giants Liverpool one of the known admirers.

As quoted by Sky Sports, his agent Hakan Azman told planetfootball about the mounting interest in his client: “It is an unusual situation.

“Normally I would not have any trouble selling a player such as Hasan Sas. His brilliant World Cup meant that many clubs became admirers.

“But when they saw that his contract expired in the summer [of 2003] they decided to wait. Liverpool did make enquiries into the player, but did not make a realistic offer at the time.”

Sas, who was also of reported interest to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, stayed at Galatasaray and never joined Liverpool, a move many players would have difficulty in turning down.

But he stayed in Turkey, snubbing the Reds because of the finances offered, despite the global prominence they had boasted for decades.

Liverpool, who won the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Community Shield and Super Cup the year before, had their eye on Sas

But Sas remained with Galatasaray for financial reasons

“I met with many agents after the 2002 World Cup,” he said in an interview with SKY Turk via Hurriyet.

“They all came to take me to a team in Europe. But now I understand that they were not all big-time agents.

“Despite this, Liverpool wanted me. Although my transfer fee was high, there were other offers.

“However, due to the economic crisis, the money they were going to give me was much lower than what I would earn in Turkey.

“But if I had the mind I have now, I would have accepted this offer. If I were 25 now, I would have accepted that little money and left without a second thought.”

Sas first joined Galatasaray from Turkish club MKE Ankaragucu in 1998 but missed a large chunk of games in his first year after testing positive for the banned substance phenylpropanolamine.

Galatasaray faced tough financial issues but Sas stayed loyal to the club

He earned 40 caps for Turkey before retiring

He returned for the 1999/2000 season to win the Turkish league title and the UEFA Cup [now the Europa League] beating Arsenal in the final.

Manager Fatih Terim then left for Fiorentina in Italy but returned in 2002, only for Galatasaray’s European pedigree to slowly diminish.

Bagis Erten, a commentator for Istanbul-based radio station Acik Radyo, told Al Jazeera in 2004: “It was a bad choice bringing [Terim] back.”

Erten added: “While Galatasaray won the UEFA cup, there was nothing more behind that. The system behind the team was very weak, especially the financial system.”

Columnist Semih Gumus also commented: “A world class team was created by Fatih Terim, but not a world class club.

“That’s why now, with debts of some $150million, Galatasaray has become the most in debt club in Turkey.”

“To start winning again, the club needs to put the right players in the right places,” Gumus also said. “Yet Galatasaray’s budget is shot.

“Without the budget to transfer the right players, next year, Galatasaray’s 100th anniversary, the team will be in deep trouble.”

Financial issues at the club didn’t seem to affect Sas though, as he remained at Galatasaray for the rest of his career before retiring in 2009.

He won five Turkish league titles in total with the club, as well as three Turkish Cups, a Turkish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Sas made 354 appearances, scoring 38 goals and assisting a further 95, and returned for off-pitch roles in the following years.

The former Turkey international was their assistant manager in two stints from 2011 to 2013, and then 2018 until 2020.