Guardiola’s ex-assistant Torrent becomes Galatasaray’s new coach
Flamengo coach Domenec Torrent reacts during the Brasileiro Championship match between Internacional and Flamengo at the Beira Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on Oct. 25, 2020 (Reuters File Photo)


The former assistant of Pep Guardiola during his term as Barcelona coach, Domenec Torrent has become Galatasaray’s new coach, club President Burak Elmas said in a press conference late Tuesday.

The Lions parted ways with their legendary coach Fatih Terim on Monday, and Torrent was already rumored to be coming to Istanbul.

The Spaniard is 59-years-old and has worked as an assistant coach at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City between 2008 and 2018, while also briefly managing the Brazilian giant Flamengo in 2020.

The Galatasaray administration drew fire from fans for their covert move to replace Terim amid conflicting remarks from club executives.

It was first reported that the administration was searching for an assistant to boost Terim’s technical squad but it turned out that they were indeed looking to replace Terim himself.

In the press conference, President Elmas confessed that Fatih Terim did not have any knowledge about the administration’s efforts to find an assistant for him, even though another member of the administration, Işıtan Gün, said the exact opposite during a YouTube broadcast on the Spor Gecesi Digital channel, claiming that Terim indeed knew about the club’s efforts to find him a better assistant.

What’s more, Terim also denied President Elmas’ claim that they ended his term through mutual consent.

Experienced sports journalist Ibrahim Seten said in a report that he talked to Fatih Terim, who said he did not want to leave his position.

"I did not leave through mutual consent, they fired me," Terim reportedly said.

"Compensation is out of question. It cannot be," he also said, underlining that he will not take a penny from the club that he devoted his life to.

Galatasaray fans frustrated with the administration’s move to fire Fatih Terim flocked to his home in Istanbul on the same day, calling for the resignation of Burak Elmas administration.