TCL player accuses Galatasaray of not paying him for months

Olivia Richman Published 28/09/2019

Turkish Championship League team Galatasaray is being accused of not paying their League of Legends team.

In a TwitLonger titled “GS Esports is not paying their players,” former Galatasaray player Barış “Tolerant” Çepnioğlu accused the organization of witholding his pay for four months.

Tolerant began by apologizing to fans who supported him during his time with Galatasaray, which ended in April. But he felt he had no choice to release the information.

According to Tolerant, he was initially understanding of Galatasaray and told them it was okay if his pay was two to three weeks late. But he started to grow suspicious when his payment kept getting postponed. He finally felt the need to publicly address the issue when Galatasaray esports manager Kerem Serbetci ignored his messages.

“I was often promised that the payment would be in the shortest possible time, but these were unfortunately empty. I would like to make it clear that this is not my intention to harm Galatasaray Esports,” Tolerant said.

Galatasaray Esports is owned by Galatasaray, a soccer club in Turkey. And it doesn’t seem like they are known for playing their field athletes either.

Galatasaray pay issues extend beyond esports

Galatasaray failed to pay soccer player Wesley Sneijder’s wages in 2014. At the time of the report, Sneijder had not been paid since the start of the season. The playmaker earned €3.2 million ($3.5 million) per season at the time, and still had two years remaining on his contract.

Although Sneijder had stated that the club was working hard to come up with a solution, it appears that money woes have continued to plague the organization.

Last year, the UEFA Club Financial Control Body reviewed a settlement agreement with Galastasaray over its financial situation. The club was not in compliance with the break-even requirement of UEFA.

The agreement resulted in Galatasaray limiting their number of players and paying a fine to UEFA. The organization also agreed to report a maximum break-even deficit through the 2020 financial year.

If what Tolerant has accused Galastasaray of ends up being proven true, it appears that the organization is still having financial woes.

Galastasaray currently has teams in soccer, basketball, volleyball, and League of Legends.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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