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Turkey Coach Fatih Terim Loses Job After Mindless Fight In Kebab Shop

It’s unthinkable, really. There is absolutely no excuse for this. What kind of monster fights while doner kebabs are around? 

There are few pleasures in this world as delightful as an early morning doner kebab following a late night out. It’s impossible to devour the delicious street food without a smile on your face. Unless you’re Fatih Terim.

Terim, the legendary Turkish coach and former player who has a stadium in Istanbul named after him, saw his third stint in charge of his home nation end Wednesday following a spat in a kebab restaurant. Terim and his two sons-in-law fought with the restaurant owner a few weeks ago, enough for the Turkish soccer federation to opt to part ways with Terim.

 

Terim had coached Turkey since 2013 following stints with the team in each of the two prior decades. He guided Turkey to a place in the semifinals of the 2008 Euros and at the club level has won six Turkish Super Lig titles and one UEFA Cup. Now he’ll be looking for a new job, all because of the wonderful treat known as a kebab.

If you’ve never had a kebab, you’re missing out on one of the world’s greatest treasures. All across Europe and into Asia and even Africa you can find these incredible fares. I had this kebab in Romania a couple months ago and still think about it every day. 

Romanian kebab

Bliss wrapped in bread. Photo: Travis Yoesting

The sliced meat stuffed into a warm pita with fresh vegetables is pure bliss. And yet, Terim and his cohorts somehow managed to become embroiled in a fight at a kebab restaurant. Pure insanity. 

 

Terim is one of the best managers in the world and has proven himself for decades at the national team level as well as at Galatasaray (three stints), Fiorentina and AC Milan. But now this indiscretion leaves Turkey in trouble in World Cup qualifying.

The Crescent Stars are currently third in Group I in UEFA qualifying. They have 11 points, even with fourth-place Ukraine and two behind both Croatia and Iceland (Finland and Kosovo have one point each). The highly competitive group will send the winner to Russia while the second-place team will face a playoff for a World Cup berth. 

If Terim had just kept to himself and eaten his kebab like any sane person would do, Turkey’s national team would be in much better shape to qualify for Russia 2018. 

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