Graeme Souness recreates iconic Galatasary flag moment that nearly sparked riot

Publish date: 2024-04-08

Graeme Souness recreated his infamous Galatasary flag moment as he got involved in their title celebrations.

Souness famously nearly sparked a riot when he planted a giant Galatasaray flag in the centre of Fenerbahce's pitch - who are their biggest rivals.

The was in 1996 when goals from talkSPORT's very own Dean Saunders helped them win the Turkish Cup.

Souness relieved that moment when Galatasaray beat Fenerbahce 3-0 at home that confirmed they had won the title with one game to go.

A clip was later posted on social media by the Turkish club showing the Liverpool legend waving a flag around the pitch.

He received a brilliant reception from the Galatasaray fans, who is fondly remembered for that stunt.

Read more on Graeme Souness

The 69-year-old has spoken about that incident many times in the past and revealed it was an act of revenge for comments made by a Fenerbahce vice-president.

Souness said: “One of their [Fenerbahce's] vice-presidents had said 'what are Galatasaray doing signing a cripple?', he was referring to the open-heart surgery I had.

"So we play them nine months later in the cup final, a two-legged cup final - we won the first game in our stadium 1-0, lose the second game 1-0 after ninety minutes. 

“It goes to extra time, Dean Saunders - a really good player and great striker of the ball, before he's actually made contact with it I am up off my seat knowing he's going to score.

Most read in Football

"We win the trophy and after the game, all of our players ran down to one end where our supporters were and that great big flag was handed over. 

“All the players took turns to wave it and then it's my turn, I give it a few waves and then turned to hand it to someone."

Saunders reacted to that clip of his old boss Souness and explained what happened from his view point.

He told talkSPORT Breakfast: “Not only were 62,000 people devastated they had lost to Galatasaray, he then picked the flag up and ran past me to the centre circle, but he couldn’t get it in.

“He ran past me on his way back and I just said ‘all the best’. 

“This Fenerbahce fan has tried to get to him by the tunnel and he’s gone bang, right hook. He’s hit the fan and he’s gone down.

“All the riot police with the shields, they were Galatasaray fans and were saying ‘how dare you break Graeme Souness’ hands with your jaw’. They were roughing him up.

“We got in the dressing room because we’d won the cup and Souness had his hand in an ice bucket.

Read More on talkSPORT

“Strangest thing, my mum and dad were sitting there. My dad could get in anywhere.

“It kicked off and they looked in the directors box and they quickly got all the families out and the safest place was the dressing room.”

ncG1vNJzZmiskaG4tLzOq6tnm5%2BifKe7zq2ZmqScZH51gJRwbW9nl6euprnEZqqorZ6awLR5xpqjmqyRqK6zrdhmnaWZl2Q%3D