Galatasaray SK coach Okan Buruk has called on UEFA to reconsider a long-standing disciplinary rule in the UEFA Champions League, a regulation that could see Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen miss the crucial return leg against Liverpool FC.
With the two European sides preparing for a high-stakes first-leg encounter at RAMS Park on Tuesday, Osimhen is walking a disciplinary tightrope that could shape the narrative of the tie.
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Osimhen is one card away from suspension
The Super Eagles forward has already accumulated two yellow cards this season, picked up during earlier Champions League fixtures against Atlético Madrid and Juventus FC.
Under UEFA’s disciplinary framework, a player who collects three yellow cards from the league phase onward, provided they have not been sent off, must serve an automatic one-match suspension.
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That means if Osimhen receives another booking in Istanbul, he will miss the decisive second leg at Anfield next week.
For Galatasaray, such a scenario would be a major setback.
Osimhen is Galatasaray’s highest-scoring foreign player in Champions League history, and remains the spearhead of the Turkish champions’ attacking ambition in Europe.
The rule and why Buruk believes it is outdated
UEFA’s regulations also stipulate that after the first suspension, every additional odd-numbered yellow card, such as the fifth or seventh, triggers another one-match ban.
Yellow cards are only wiped clean after the quarter-finals, meaning they do not carry over into the semi-finals.
But Buruk believes the system no longer fits the competition’s modern structure.
The Champions League format has expanded significantly in recent years. Under the previous structure, teams played six group-stage matches before advancing directly to the Round of 16.
In the current format, clubs compete in eight league-phase matches, followed by an additional knockout round before the Round of 16.
According to Buruk, the increase in matches means the disciplinary threshold should be reconsidered as well.
“There could have been a reduction regarding yellow cards for 10 matches,” Buruk said during his pre-match press conference.
“As it stands, yellow cards will be wiped clean in the semi-finals. UEFA absolutely needs to change this after the number of matches increases.”
Multiple Galatasaray players are at risk
The Galatasaray manager also revealed that seven players in his squad are currently one booking away from suspension, complicating tactical planning ahead of the Liverpool clash.
“The most difficult part for us is that four of our most frequently playing players in the same position in defence, our goalkeeper, and two attackers are on the verge,” Buruk explained.
“While playing this match in the best way possible, we will also do our best to avoid getting cards unnecessarily.”
Managing that risk has made squad selection even more challenging.
“We have a very strong squad. I’m having difficulty putting together the squad,” Buruk admitted.
“I’m thinking about the players who are on the verge of receiving seven yellow cards, how I can reduce the risk.”
Osimhen is not the only Galatasaray player facing this delicate situation.
Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, defenders Ismail Jakobs, Davinson Sánchez and Abdülkerim Bardakcı, as well as winger Roland Sallai and forward Noa Lang, are all one yellow card away from a suspension.
Even Buruk himself must tread carefully.
If the Galatasaray coach receives a yellow card from the touchline during the match, he would be banned from leading his team from the sidelines in the return leg in England.
Liverpool also face suspension concerns
Liverpool are dealing with similar disciplinary worries heading into the contest.
Defender Conor Bradley and midfielder Curtis Jones are both one booking away from missing the second leg, while striker Alexander Isak will miss the match due to injury.
A reminder of their previous meeting
The stakes are heightened by the fact that both clubs have already faced each other once during this season’s Champions League group phase.
On that occasion, Galatasaray secured a 1–0 victory at home, with Osimhen converting a 16th-minute penalty to settle the contest.
That result reinforced the Nigerian striker’s growing importance in Istanbul, and underlined why Galatasaray can ill afford to lose him for the decisive leg in England.
As Tuesday’s clash approaches, Buruk’s appeal to UEFA highlights a broader question facing modern European football: should disciplinary rules evolve alongside an expanding competition format?
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