Bekir İrtegün is a Turkish football player who plays for Gaziantepspor.
His football life began as a youngster with Gaziantep Buyuksehir Belediyespor. With the performance he showed there he is transferred into Gaziantepspor.
In 8 seasons he has over 100 caps for Gaziantepspor.
Fabio Bilica is a Brazilian football player, he signed with Sivasspor in July 2008. He was a member of the Brazil Olympic team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where he reached the quarter finals, Brazil being beaten by Cameroon.
He played in the Olympic team alongside much more famous players as Alex, Ronaldinho, Lúcio and Fábio Aurélio.
He made his debut at U Cluj in the last round of the first half of the championship against fierce rivals CFR Cluj.
Additionally, in the past Bilica came to tryout at Fenerbahce in 2005, but due to foreigner constraints and his apparent lack of ability back then, manager Daum felt he was not needed in the squad.
Das Trainer-Beben – in Köln wackelt der Dom!
Exklusiv berichtete BILD, dass FC-Trainer Christoph Daum (55) seinen bis 2010 laufenden Vertrag gekündigt hat und kommende Saison zu Fenerbahce Istanbul wechselt.
2010 a kadar olan sözleşmesini fesh etmiş fenerbahçeye geçmiş.
Das Motiv für den Sensations-Wechsel? Offenbar ließen 11,5 Mio Euro netto Daum sein Herz für Köln verlieren.
„Köln ist eine Herzensangelegenheit“, hatte Daum immer betont. Jetzt siegte Geld über Gefühle.
Dauma yukardaki kadar para vermişiz 11.5 m tün kontrat süreci bundan geliyormuş
Beim 17-maligen türkischen Meister kriegt er einen Dreijahresvertrag. 3,5 Mio Euro Netto-Gehalt pro Saison, insgesamt 11,5 Mio Euro. Dazu rund 40 Mio Euro für neue Stars.
3 senelik sözleşme 3,5 senelik net 40 milyon bütçe yeni yıldızlar
Die Kölner trifft die Daum-Flucht völlig unerwartet. „Wir hatten vereinbart, dass über wir eine Vertragsverlängerung sprechen“, sagt FC-Präsident Wolfgang Overath zu BILD. „Aber die finanziellen Unterschiede waren einfach zu gravierend.“ Bei Köln verdiente Daum „nur“ 2,4 Mio Euro pro Saison – brutto.
Sezonluk brüt vergiler dahil 2.4 milyon kölnden verilen (hehe daumun lohnsteuer klasse kaçtır acaba hemen kesintiyi söliyim size )
Doch wegen seiner halbjährlichen Ausstiegsklausel gab’s immer wieder Wechsel-Sorgen. Schon 2007 und auch nach dem Bundesliga-Aufstieg 2008. Daum schmiss hin, ließ sich später vom Klub zum Weitermachen überreden.
Ein Jahr später ist er doch weg. Daum verlor sein Kölner Herz. Und die Anhänger toben. FC-Fan Wilfried Porschen (58): „Daum zeigt, dass es nur noch ums Geld geht.“ Hermann Heitmann (53): „Für mich ist Daum kein Kölner mehr. Schweinerei.“
Gestern versuchte Daum, seine Entscheidung zu erklären: „Am vergangenen Samstag habe ich ein sportlich wie finanziell überzeugendes Angebot eines europäischen Top-Klubs erhalten. Meine Entscheidung ist keine gegen den 1. FC Köln, sondern für die neue Herausforderung.“
Den Kölnern hilft das wenig. FC-Rückkehrer Lukas Podolski (23): „Die Nachricht kommt für mich überraschend.“ Verteidiger Marvin Matip (23) deutlich: „Der neue Trainer muss jetzt einen Scherbenhaufen zusammenkehren...“
Michael Skibbe (43, zuletzt Galatasaray) und Christian Gross (54, zuletzt Basel) sind Trainer-Kandidaten, denen der FC das zutraut...
Gerisi fasa fiso.
Yellow Canaries Vice-President Şekip Mosturoğlu spoke to the press this week and commented about Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano's pending contract renewal talks. Mosturoğlu reassured Fenerbahçe fans saying that there was a strong probability that Diego Lugano will soon extend his contract and stay at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu.
Fenerbahçe Vice-President spoke to Radyospor's Aydın Cingöz this week and answered questions about Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano's pending contract renewal talks.
"We're waiting for Lugano's agent to come to Turkey, so we can clarify his situation," said Şekip Mosturoğlu. "I believe that in the end both sides will show the necessary sacrifice and we will soon reach a happy ending," he continued.
When asked about transfer rumours linking the defender to Italian clubs Mr. Mosturoğlu gave a clear response. "I have never thought and still don't think that a development of this kind could happen during our negotiations," answered Mosturoğlu. "I can say to you that Lugano will not go to Italy," commented the Vice-President.
Diego Lugano, Volkan Demirel and Selçuk Şahin have all yet to extend their contracts with the club. If Fenerbahçe doesn't get these players to sign new contracts, they will become free agents at the end of the season.
A full slate of games is on the schedule this weekend, but all eyes will be on one match Sunday. The world's biggest derby headlines Turkcell Süper Lig week 27. Both Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray have an opportunity to move just three points back of league-leaders Sivasspor in the race for the title. Elsewhere, a number of mismatches provide opportunity for teams at the top to strengthen their lead as the season winds down. Here's a look at the other action throughout the league this weekend:
The week 27 action gets underway with one game on the schedule Friday. Kocaelispor hosts Beşiktaş at 20:00. Facing the second-to-last-place team looks easy for the Black Eagles, but the pressure remains high. Beşiktaş needs nothing less than a win to keep pace with Sivasspor and fend off either Fenerbahçe or Galatasaray. A loss by the Eagles could put them only two points ahead of their Istanbul rivals with seven games left.
Four games are on the schedule for Saturday, starting with Bursaspor hosting Ankaragücü and Gaziantespor visiting Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor. Kickoff for both matches is 13:30. The stakes are high in both games when it comes to determining the relegated teams for next season. Ankaragücü currently holds the final relegation spot, but they're only two points away from safety. However, it's Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor that is two points ahead of them. Ankara could have a tough time climbing out of danger Saturday as they visit the always-hostile environment of the Bursaspor Green Crocs.
At 15:15, Sivasspor hosts Antalyaspor in a crucial match for the league-leaders. They're only one point clear of Beşiktaş, and Antalyaspor comes into the match with confidence. They defeated Sivasspor 2-1 in their first meeting back in November. Sivas needs a better performance if they are to cling to their lead and hope for their first-ever Turkcell Süper Lig title this season. Saturday's final match features Trabzonspor visiting last-place Hacettepe.
Sunday's schedule features four matches, with the world's biggest derby providing the finale for the weekend. However, three games at 13:30 will give football fans plenty of entertainment before the big match. Gençlerbirliği hosts Konyaspor, Ankaraspor visits Eskişehirspor, and Kayserispor hosts Denizlispor Sunday afternoon. Only one point separates Gençlerbirliği and Konyaspor, and the Ankara side is only two points clear of the final relegation spot. Both teams need a crucial win Sunday if they are continue their quest to remain in Turkish football's top league. Here is a look at the full schedule and table heading into week 27:
| Date-Time | Stadium | Home Team | Score | Visiting Team | Referees |
| 10.04.2009 20:00 | İSMETPAŞA | KOCAELİSPOR | - | BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş. | (O) BÜLENT YILDIRIM (Y) ERDİNÇ SEZERTAM (Y) HÜSEYİN FİDAN (D) HAKAN ÖZKAN |
| 11.04.2009 13:30 | BURSA ATATÜRK | BURSASPOR | - | MKE ANKARAGÜCÜ | (O) SUAT ARSLANBOĞA (Y) MURAT ŞAHİN (Y) SERKAN AKARCA (D) HAKAN CEYLAN |
| 11.04.2009 13:30 | ATATÜRK OLİMPİYAT | BÜYÜKŞEHİR BLD.SPOR | - | GAZİANTEPSPOR | (O) BÜNYAMİN GEZER (Y) SERHAN MALKOÇ (Y) MUSTAFA SÖNMEZ (D) MUSTAFA İLKER COŞKUN |
| 11.04.2009 15:15 | SİVAS 4 EYLÜL | SİVASSPOR | - | ANTALYASPOR A.Ş. | (O) HÜSEYİN GÖÇEK (Y) KEMAL YILMAZ (Y) SERKAN OK (D) HÜSEYİN SABANCI |
| 11.04.2009 19:00 | ANKARA 19 MAYIS | HACETTEPE SPOR | - | TRABZONSPOR A.Ş. | (O) TOLGA ÖZKALFA (Y) ÖZGÜR ÇETİNER (Y) ALİ ZAĞLI (D) MÜRVET SEZER |
| 12.04.2009 13:30 | ANKARA 19 MAYIS | GENÇLERBİRLİĞİ | - | KONYASPOR | (O) YUNUS YILDIRIM (Y) SELÇUK KAYA (Y) MUHİTTİN GÜRSES (D) ÇAĞATAY ŞAHAN |
| 12.04.2009 13:30 | ESKİŞEHİR ATATÜRK | ESKİŞEHİRSPOR | - | ANKARASPOR A.Ş. | (O) KORAY GENÇERLER (Y) GÖKHAN MEMİŞOĞLU (Y) MEHMET KISAL (D) MUSTAFA ÖĞRETMENOĞLU |
| 12.04.2009 13:30 | BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESİ KADİR HAS | KAYSERİSPOR | - | DENİZLİSPOR | (O) ÖZGÜÇ TÜRKALP (Y) ÖMER FARUK YEŞİL (Y) ÖZGÜR FATİH KALAYCI (D) ZAFER DEMİR |
| 12.04.2009 19:00 | ALİ SAMİ YEN | GALATASARAY A.Ş. | - | FENERBAHÇE | (O) FIRAT AYDINUS (Y) BAHATTİN DURAN (Y) TARIK ONGUN (D) ABDULLAH YILMAZ |
| Team | GP | P |
| 1.SİVASSPOR | 26 | 53 |
| 2.BEŞİKTAŞ A.Ş. | 26 | 52 |
| 3.FENERBAHÇE | 26 | 47 |
| 4.GALATASARAY A.Ş. | 26 | 47 |
| 5.TRABZONSPOR A.Ş. | 26 | 47 |
| 6.BURSASPOR | 26 | 41 |
| 7.KAYSERİSPOR | 26 | 37 |
| 8.GAZİANTEPSPOR | 26 | 37 |
| 9.ANKARASPOR A.Ş. | 26 | 36 |
| 10.ANTALYASPOR A.Ş. | 26 | 32 |
| 11.ESKİŞEHİRSPOR | 26 | 30 |
| 12.KONYASPOR | 26 | 30 |
| 13.GENÇLERBİRLİĞİ | 26 | 29 |
| 14.DENİZLİSPOR | 26 | 29 |
| 15.BÜYÜKŞEHİR BLD.SPOR | 26 | 29 |
| 16.MKE ANKARAGÜCÜ | 26 | 27 |
| 17.KOCAELİSPOR | 26 | 23 |
| 18.HACETTEPE | 26 | 15 |
It looks like Fenerbahçe will receive payment for the transfer of Mehmet Aurelio after all. The Conflict Resolution Committee of the Turkish Football Federation has ruled that Aurelio must pay his former club $5.25 million. Aurelio left the club to sign with Spanish side Real Betis last summer, although Fener originally received no transfer payment from Aurelio's current club.
Due to a legal loophole in his contract, Aurelio left Fenerbahçe to sign with Real Betis last summer, even though it appeared he was still contractually bound to the Canaries. It was initially ruled that Aurelio's contract was valid only in Türkiye, meaning he could sign with another club outside of the country with no penalty. Fener also received no transfer fee payment from Real Betis for the move last summer.
Now the committee has ruled that Aurelio will pay his former club $5.25 million. Aurelio will likely appeal the decision with the committee, further delaying the legal battle that has been on-going for nearly a year. Aurelio has yet to issue a personal statement on the committee's decision this week.
It appears that Fenerbahçe is going to be without its captain for the world's biggest derby. According to a report Wednesday, Alex will likely miss Sunday's match against Galatasaray. The Brazilian star has been suffering from a groin injury for several weeks, but team doctors don't feel he'll be ready in time for Sunday's derby.
According to a report from Turkish television network Lig TV, Alex will likely miss Sunday's derby against Galatasaray. The star was injured three weeks ago and has been unable to play or practice with the team during this time.
Fenerbahçe administrators wanted Alex to see a former team doctor for Bayern Munich, but the specialist is away on holiday and unable to evaluate him. Alex is currently undergoing an intensive treatment with Fener doctors but is still unable to resume playing football. A final decision on Alex's status for Sunday is expected to be made on Friday.
Fenerbahçe coach Luis Aragones spoke to the media following his team's 2-1 victory over Eskişehirspor Sunday night. The coach despite the victory, he's not pleased with his team's performance. He also said that his team is motivated, but they'll need to play better football if they are to get back into the title hunt.
Coach Luis Aragones didn't sound like a winning coach Sunday night. After his team's 2-1 victory, Aragones said he wasn't happy with his team's performance against Eskişehirspor.
"I don't like the style of football that was played," Aragones said. "I've already expressed this before - the fact that I don't like long balls. They intercepted all the long passes that were intended for our forwards," he said.
Aragones told reporters that his team was motivated to win the game, but he said they should have won by a greater margin. "We had more chances than they did, so I feel like we won in a fair way. If a team walks on to the pitch with this much anxiety, it's not possible for them to play well," he said. "Maybe we won the match, but we could have won by a much greater margin," Aragones told reporters.
"I don't know why our players were so angry, but they were. Every team that has the goal of winning the championship has motivation," Aragones said. "We also have the necessary motivation, but it's not enough to win the championship. You need to play well, achieve good results, and win matches," he said. "With eight matches to go, every team has a shot to win the championship. We know we also still have a chance."
Dani Güiza may have finally found his rhythm with Fenerbahçe. The Spanish striker scored in his second straight league match on Sunday to help the Canaries to a 2-1 victory against visiting Eskişehirspor. Fener built a 2-0 lead but held on after a late Eskişehir goal to grab three crucial points in week 26.
Fenerbahçe coach Luis Aragones was without several key players on Sunday, most notably team captain Alex de Souza and defender Diego Lugano. Spanish midfielder Josico got the start on Sunday, and Gökhan Gönül also was in the coach's first eleven after being a gametime decision. He suffered an injury last week and had missed the team's most recent training sessions.
The first half started with both teams having opportunities. Deivid de Souza got a good look ten minutes in with a shot from the middle that sailed high to open the Fener opportunities. Eskişehirspor would get a good look six minutes later with a cross from the right to Souleymane Youla, but the pass led the star too far in front and he couldn't connect.
The first great opportunity for the Canaries came in the 22nd minute. On a Fener attack, goalkeeper Vanja Ivesa came out to defend with Uğur Boral and Deivid de Souza on the break. Uğur was able to get the ball past Ivesa to find an open goal, but the Eskişehirspor defense was able to recover just in time to clear the ball and prevent the goal. The visitors would follow that up with attacks of their own, getting two attempts on goal in a one-minute span just moments later. They would continue to utilize star Souleymane Youla on the attack and nearly set up the first goal, but Selçuk Şahin made a fantastic tackle to kill the attack.
The first half was characterized by sloppy passing by the home side, but both teams had opportunities to score early on. The positioning by the Eskişehirspor defenders was superb throughout the first half, able to prevent the Canaries from setting up many good looks in the first 45 minutes. After an unproductive first half, the two teams went into the break scoreless.
The second half opened with Eskişehir nearly finding an open goal like the Canaries did in the first half. With Volkan Demirel out to defend, a header bouncing toward goal was cleared just in time by Yasin Çakmak to prevent the game's first goal in the 48th minute. Çakmak replaced defender Edu Dracena, who left the game with a foot injury. Edu's injury would be followed a few minutes later by one to Uğur Boral. In the 50th minute, the midfielder collided with a defender on a Fener attempt and left the game with a laceration to his eyebrow.
In the 58th minute, the Canaries would finally get on the scoreboard. On the attack, a Roberto Carlos cross from the left found Deivid de Souza in the box who flipped the ball past Ivesa to put the Canaries up 1-0. Fener looked significantly sharper in the second half, limiting the visitors' chances to a few looks by Engin Baytar, while creating a much more productive offense themselves. Eskişehir nearly equalized in the 84th minute, however. Gökhan Emreciksin cleared an Eskişehir attempt, but a resulting bicycle kick hit the top of the net as it just cleared the goal.
The Canaries would seal the win in the 87th minute. Dani Güiza, coming off a fantastic performance for the Spanish National Team last week, would score his second goal in as many league matches for the Canaries. On a long pass from Semih Şentürk, the Spaniard found himself open on the left side with no one but the goalkeeper to beat. Güiza slid the ball past Ivesa into the right side of the net, making it a 2-0 match.
With only moments remaining in regulation, Eskişehirspor would make it interesting. A corner for the visitors found Batuhan Karadeniz in the box for a header, cutting the Canaries' lead in half. With four minutes of stoppage time added on, the home side would hang on for a 2-1 lead and a crucial three points in league play. The team now looks ahead to the world's biggest derby next weekend. They'll travel across the Bosphorous to take on Galatasaray at Ali Sami Yen Stadium next Sunday.
STADIUM: Şükrü Saraçoğlu
REFEREES: Bülent Yıldırım , Muharrem Yılmaz , Nihat Mızrak
FENERBAHÇE: Volkan Demirel, Roberto Carlos, Edu Dracena (Yasin Çakmak - 46th ), Önder Turacı, Gökhan Gönül, Josico (Deniz Barış - 55th ), Selçuk Şahin, Uğur Boral (Gökhan Emreciksin - 58th ), Dani Güiza, Semih Şentürk, Deivid de Souza
ESKİŞEHİRSPOR: Ivesa, El Saka (Tayfun - 52nd), Vucko, Koray, Sezgin, Doğa , Emre Toraman (Poljak - 71st), Engin, Batuhan, Serdar (Bülent Kocabey - 79th), Youla
GOALS: Deivid (59th) Güiza (87th) (Fenerbahçe) Batuhan (90+1) (Eskişehirspor)
YELLOW CARDS: Emre Toraman, Engin, Doğa (Eskişehirspor) Önder (Fenerbahçe)
According to a report this weekend, Fenerbahçe is expected to sign footballers Volkan Demirel and Selçuk Şahin to new deals before the Galatasaray derby. The two will join stars Roberto Carlos, Alex de Souza, and Deivid de Souza as Canaries who have signed new contracts with the club this year. The report also states that administrators have not given up hope of inking defender Diego Lugano to a new deal as well.
Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel and midfielder/defender Selçuk Şahin are close to signing new deals with the club, according to a report this weekend. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet states that the club hopes to sign both sometime next week, preferably before the Galatasaray derby. Both Volkan and Selçuk reportedly had a number of European offers on the table, with Stuttgart and Deportivo both chasing Selçuk recently. Volkan was also believed to be the target of interest from English club Manchester City in recent months.
The report says the club has agreed on most terms with the footballers, with only details to be worked out before making it official. In addition to the two, Fenerbahçe administrators are still hoping to sign defender Diego Lugano. The club has an offer on the table for Lugano, but the Uruguayan star has remained mum on his future plans. A number of Italian clubs, including Juventus and Lazio, have expressed interest in the star, who also holds an Italian passport. Juan Figer, the agent for Lugano, has met with the club on numerous occasions, but he is expected to fly back to Istanbul soon to continue negotiations with the Canaries.
Fenerbahçe's Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium has the honour of hosting the UEFA Cup final this year, on May 20th. It was announced on Friday, that the cup trophy will be brought to Istanbul on April 23rd and will be put on display in various spots around the city.
With 47 days left until the grand finale, UEFA Cup fever has begun heating up Istanbul. The Kadıköy Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium will have the honour of hosting the very last UEFA Cup final on May 20th, before the competition changes its name and format next season, when it becomes the UEFA EUROPA League.
The UEFA Cup trophy, therefore, makes its final trip this month when officials from reigning cup winners Zenit St. Petersburg return the trophy to UEFA President Michel Platini. Mr. Platini will entrust the trophy to Istanbul Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş in the ceremony that is set to take place on Thursday, April 23rd.
The UEFA Cup trophy will thenafter be put on display in various spots around Istanbul for the general public, until the Cup Final on May 20th.
Players who were away on national duty have returned back to Samandıra and with just two days to go, the Yellow Canaries continued gearing up for Sunday evening's Turkcell Süper Lig fixture against Eskişehirspor, with a training session on Friday morning. Injured players Alexsandro de Souza and Gökhan Gönül did not take part in today's practice.
Fenerbahçe resumed regular practice with the full squad present in Istanbul's Samandıra, as all the players away on national duty returned back and reported for duty. With two days left before Turkcell Süper Lig Week 26 home fixture against Eskişehirspor, the Yellow Canaries continued gearing up for Sunday's match-up.
Friday morning's practice at the Samandıra Training Facilities began at 11:00 AM with jogging, warm-ups and coordination exercises conducted by trainer Carlos Cascallana. The squad then ended the training session with a full-pitch tactical practice match supervised by coach Luis Aragones.
Injured Canaries captain Alex de Souza and defender Gökhan Gönül did not take part in today's practice, as both players continued to recieve their injury treatments inside the facilities. It was reported that Gökhan Gönül, who has an injury in his right ankle, was to take an MRI scan.
Fenerbahçe will finish preparations for Sunday's Eskişehirspor match with a final training session at Samandıra tomorrow afternoon at 18:30 (6 PM), after which the match squad will go into camp inside the facilities.
Fenerbahçe star Alex de Souza is out for this weekend's match against Eskişehirspor, according to an announcement by the club on Thursday. In addition, he may be joined by teammate Gökhan Gönül, who was injured in Wednesday's Turkish National Team loss to Spain. Sources within the club say Alex could play this weekend, but he is dangerously close to a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, something the club does not want to risk.
Alex is currently dealing with a minor injury he suffered recently. The Brazilian veteran has a muscle strain in his right leg and has missed the team's training sessions this week. He has been undergoing treatment on the leg throughout the week.
Sources close to the team say Alex could be available this weekend, but if he picks up another yellow card, he would be suspended due to acquiring his fourth card. The team and coaching staff don't want to risk such a move this weekend against Eskişehirspor. The team plays in the world's biggest derby next weekend against Galatasaray at Ali Sami Yen, a game Alex cannot afford to miss.
Alex could be joined on the sidelines by teammate Gökhan Gönül this weekend. The midfielder was injured Wednesday in the national team match against Spain. The Fener coaching staff is expected to make a decision on his status later in the weekend.
Several Fenerbahçe footballers and administrators will appear on the television show 'Var Mısın Yok Musun' this weekend. The popular show will feature stars Roberto Carlos, Alex de Souza, Volkan Demirel, Emre Belözoğlu, Semih Şentürk, Dani Güiza, and others. Fener President Aziz Yıldırım and Vice-President Ali Koç will also make an appearance on the show.
The popular show, hosted by Cem Yılmaz, is the Turkish version of the show 'Deal or No Deal.' The show has featured a number of celebrities this year, most recently Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera, and rapper 50 Cent.
The footballers will be playing to support a charity on Saturday. All proceeds from their winnings will go to support a foundation for hearing-impaired children.
''Var Mısın Yok Musun' will air Saturday night at 22:00 local time (3 PM EST in the U.S.; 8 PM in the U.K.). The show can be seen live on Show TV and online at www.digiturkwebtv.com.
Fenerbahçe star Roberto Carlos is again discussing the possibility of returning to former club Real Madrid. The Brazilian defender spoke of the possibility last month if former president Florentino Perez returns to power at the Spanish club. Now Carlos is again saying a return to his former club could be possible.
“I feel strong physically and I’m still very motivated. If there’s a possibility of returning to Real Madrid, I will return to be a champion,” he said in an interview with Antena 3 earlier this week. The legendary left-back signed with Fenerbahçe two seasons ago after winning numerous titles with Real Madrid. Carlos has stated before he'd like to retire with the Canaries and then enter the coaching realm. Now the 35-year-old is leaving the door open for a return to Spain, but only if the right conditions exist.
“It would be great if Florentino could return. Now, it also seems that a good friend of mine, [Juan] Onieva, could also run in the elections.” Carlos has publicly stated several times before that he was unhappy with the current administration at Real Madrid.
“When I left the team, I said that this club is too big for those who were trying to run it at the time. And it has been proven,” he said. “It is necessary for
Carlos told reporters he missed Spain and would consider a return in Perez return to power at his old club. “It would be wonderful to return to
Fenerbahçe star Dani Güiza spoke to reporters Tuesday night and said his Spanish National Team must focus Wednesday night in order to win. The Canaries' scorer knows how rowdy the atmosphere will be in Istanbul, but he said he urged his teammates to block out the crowd and just focus on winning football.
Dani Güiza knows the passion of Turkish football. The Fenerbahçe star has yet to play at Ali Sami Yen Stadium, but he's witnessed the hostile environment that awaits visiting teams throughout the country. He told reporters Tuesday that his Spanish team must do a good job of ignoring the crowd in order to win in Istanbul.
“We must go out there and play our own game, no matter how difficult the fans will make it for us. If we focus on ourselves, it will not matter,” he told Spanish newspaper Marca this week.
“Türkiye have already shown last Saturday that they are a side that plays good football because they have great players," he said. "They will only be thinking about beating us because they have to win. What we have to do is to keep the ball and maintain as much possession as possible. That will help us win the game," Güiza said.
The Fener star also defended his inclusion in the national team and thanked coach Vicente Del Bosque. “I only think about scoring goals and celebrating with the team,” he said. “I believe that throughout the [past] year, I have worked for my place and when I play, I have always done well.”
Reports out of Spain and Türkiye Monday state that Fenerbahçe will part ways with coach Luis Aragones after the season. According to Spanish media reports, the coach will provide commentary for the Confederation Cup matches in Spain in June. The veteran technical director will then bid farewell to Fenerbahçe afterwards.
It's been a rough debut season with Fenerbahçe for Luis Aragones. The Spanish coach took over for Brazilian legend Zico last summer, but he's failed to work his European magic with the club thus far. Now comes word that his debut season with the club could also be his farewell season.
According to reports out of Spain, Aragones has been hired by Spanish television network Tele5 to provide commentary for the Confederation Cup in June. The reports go on to say that Aragones and Fenerbahçe will then part ways as the club looks to potential replacement Roberto Mancini to take over.
Aragones currently has a two-year deal with Fener, but club administrators are reportedly unhappy with the team's performance this season. They currently sit fourth in the league standings.
Turkish newspaper Milliyet has confirmed the Spanish reports, saying that Aragones is excited to return to his native country. "After being away for a year, I'm very happy to be returning to my country," Aragones reportedly told Tele5.
Spain will participate in the Confederation Cup matches this summer. Those games will take place between June 14 and June 28 in Spain.
Bursaspor President İbrahim Yazıcı issued a statement on Monday, squashing rumours that his star player is headed to Fenerbahçe. Sercan Yıldırım has been mentioned as a Fener target numerous times this season, with reports over the weekend stating the Canaries were close to a deal for him. Yazıcı says as far as he's concerned, Sercan will remain a Green Croc.
Yazıcı issued a statement on the Bursaspor website Monday stating that there is no deal to send Sercan to Fenerbahçe as had been rumoured. "We've not had any meetings with the heads of any club regarding the transfer of young striker Sercan Yıldırım," the statement read. "The reports of us shaking hands with Fenerbahçe on a deal are completely false," Yazıcı said.
"He is still under contract with our team. If there are any negotiations toward a transfer, the public will be among the first to know," Yazıcı stated.
Yıldırım, who turns 19 on Sunday, joined Bursaspor in 2006. The striker has made numerous appearances for the U-21 Turkish National Team, and he was among Fatih Terim's call-ups for the match against Spain last weekend.
The Yellow Canaries took to the training ground on Sunday, as they continued preparations for this weekend's Turkcell Süper Lig home fixture against Eskişehirspor. Chilean midfielder Claudio Maldonado, who took a knock in training last week, resumed practice on Sunday. Meanwhile, coach Luis Aragones was to travel to Spain on Monday to take part in an awards ceremony.
Sunday evening's practice at the Samandıra Training Facilities began at 18:00 (6 PM) with coach Luis Aragones' team talk on centre pitch. Then his assistant Carlos Cascallana warmed up the players in the squad with some running and coordination drills.
The Yellow Canaries then had a scrimmage match and ended the practice session with stretching exercises. As Fenerbahçe was missing several key players who were away on national duty, two more youngsters from the reserve team joined goalkeepers Ertuğrul Taşkıran and Alper Piliç as they all trained with the professional team.
Fenerbahçe reserve team coordinator Şenol Çorlu also kept track of his players' work, on the sidelines. Meanwhile injured player Claudio Maldonado returned back to the training ground, as the Chilean defensive midfielder jogged around the field under coach Carlos Cascallana's supervision. He also briefly took part in the second half of the scrimmage match.
Fenerbahçe players took a day off from training on Monday. The Yellow Canaries manager was to travel to Madrid on Monday, where the Spanish Royal Family were going to honour Luis Aragones and the Spanish National Football Team for their success in last summer's Euro 2008 finals. Aragones is to report back to Istanbul on Tuesday.
According to reports early this week, Italian side AS Roma have jumped into the pool of teams interested in Diego Lugano. Lugano's contract with Fenerbahçe expires at the end of the season, and the Uruguayan defender has yet to agree to a new deal. Fenerbahçe management are hoping to know the defender's plans by the Galatasaray derby in less than two weeks.
AS Roma have become the newest suitor of Diego Lugano. The Uruguayan defender also has an Italian passport, making him the focus of a number of clubs in that country. Lazio and Juventus have also expressed interest in recent weeks.
According to Italian newspaper Corriere Dello Sport, AS Roma want to sign Lugano after this season. Fenerbahçe officials have offered Lugano a new contract, but the Uruguayan star has remained mum on his future plans. Reports over the weekend also indicated that Lugano's agent, Juan Figer, may have negotiated a deal with a second-division side in Uruguay that he owns requiring potentially interested clubs to pay him a hefty transfer fee.
Fenerbahçe management have asked for a decision on Lugano's future plans by the upcoming Galatasaray derby. That match will take place in less than two weeks at Ali Sami Yen Stadium.
The rumours surrounding the possible coaching change at Fenerbahçe are picking up steam early this week. While fans and some adminstrators are disappointed in the team's performance under Luis Aragones, speculation has already begun on a new replacement. Fenerbahçe Worldwide has reported twice in recent weeks that Roberto Mancini could be the new Canary boss, and now the coach has added fuel to the fire.
Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini recently spoke with Italian television network SportItalia and indicated he will make his return to coaching in July. Reports out of Italy and Türkiye in recent days say that Fenerbahçe and Italian side Sampdoria are both possible destinations for Mancini. There are also reports early this week that Mancini is in discussions with both Fener and Sampdoria already.
The 44-year-old Mancini resigned from Inter Milan last season after their knockout in the UEFA Champions League. He won three Italian titles with the club. He also coached fellow Italian sides Lazio and Fiorentina before joining Inter Milan.
Fenerbahçe has faced their share of transfer blunders in recent seasons. The club lost stars Mehmet Aurelio and Tuncay Şanlı with no compensation from other clubs, but now the team is facing another potential transfer dilemma. Although defender Diego Lugano is still under contract with the Canaries, the club may have to pay a transfer fee just to keep him in Istanbul next season.
Fenerbahçe has had bad luck with retaining some footballers in recent seasons. Now the team could face another dilemma surrounding Diego Lugano. Reports out of Istanbul this week indicate that Lugano may have already signed a contract with Uruguayan second division side Rentistas. Although such a move would seem improbable for one of Europe's top defenders, the picture becomes clear with a look at Rentistas' owner: Lugano's agent, Juan Figer.
Figer has garnered his share of controversy in dealing with his clients in recent years. However, the agent's ownership of the second division Uruguayan side could put him in more hot water. Reports indicate that Figer has been signing his own clients to the club, then requiring bigger clubs to pay a transfer fee to them (and ultimately, Figer) in order to sign the players. Now a report in Turkish newspaper Vatan says Figer has completed this task with Diego Lugano.
The Vatan report says Figer signed Lugano to Rentistas in January. The report also says he signed similar deals with clients Alex de Souza, Claudio Maldonado, and Dani Güiza. According to the report, Rentistas now owns the rights to Lugano and Fener would have to pay the club (and Figer) a transfer fee in order to keep the defender in Istanbul.
There is no word on the amount of the fee, and neither party has confirmed that a deal has occurred. Lugano joined the Canaries in 2006, but has been courted by a number of Italian clubs recently. His contract with Fener expires at the end of this season.
Milli Takım head coach Fatih Terim held a press conference today at the Santiago Bernebau Stadium, where Spain will host Turkey in just 24 hours. Terim remarked that tomorrow evening's fixture will be a very difficult match, but stated that his team will play to make history. Turkey's Milli Takım then completed preparations for the first of the two qualifiers against Spain, with a final training session conducted at the Bernebau.
On Friday, the Turkish National Football Team head coach Fatih Terim spoke to Spanish and Turkish journalists at the Santiago Bernebau Stadium, where Turkey will take on Spain on Saturday evening for the first of the two World Cup qualifiers to be played between the two teams this week.
"No matter what the circumstances are, we always have one single philosophy and that is to take to the pitch to win and to play football," said Fatih Terim at the beginning of the press conference. "Win or lose, we won't give up this philosophy," he continued.
"My players and I have the habit of making history," stated Terim. "We will play against a very strong team and it's going to be a very tough match, but the Milli Takım will play to make history once again," he commented.
Fatih Terim then stated that he and his technical staff had analyzed their opponents very seriously. "Spain has won most of the last thirty games they have played; they won the European Championship and now they are Number One in the World Rankings," he explained.
"We will play against an opponent whose performance and game plan we highly respect," said Fatih Terim. "But this doesn't mean we will surrender," he stated. "We can play against any team, anywhere," he remarked boldly.
"It's a normal thing when the Spanish media criticizes the national team, if for example they are eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup or the European Championship," said Turkey's head coach. "But, Turkey coming third in the European Championship is a very important success for us," Terim said.
"Think of us as a child who is growing up. We can fall from time to time, but we're a team that wants to grow even bigger," stated Fatih Terim. "Turkey is a team that every team should be aware of," commented the National Team manager.
Fatih Terim then went on to remark that the fact Spain chose to host this match at the Santiago Bernebau Stadium, clearly signaled that Spain was taking Turkey seriously. Terim stated that there will be a big support in the stadium and that together with the acoustic of the Bernebau, they will try to put his team under pressure.
A Spanish journalist then asked Fatih Terim how he would want the group standings to look like, between Turkey and Spain, after the two games played in Madrid and Istanbul. "Of course I'd like to be two points ahead," replied Terim.
Next up Terim was asked to comment about Spanish forward David Villa's injury. "Villa has scored seven goals in the last five international matches. He's obviously a very good goalscorer," said Fatih Terim. "So of course I'd prefer a Spain without David Villa," replied the head coach.
Terim then reported that defender Emre Aşık was fit to play and that he didn't have any problem. "All of my players are in good shape," said Terim. "We're going to play two important matches in four days and my players aren't afraid of losing," he stated.
"They'll be playing on international level and not in the Turkish league," said Terim, commenting about the general lack of morale in the squad due to recent bad results in the Turkcell Süper Lig. "But when you're playing in the international arena, you can't fall down a certain level of football," he explained.
Milli Takım then held their last training session at the Santiago Bernebau Stadium, after Fatih Terim's press conference. Terim also revealed his starting eleven for tomorrow evening's World Cup qualifier: Volkan Demirel - Gökhan Gönül, Emre Aşık, Hakan Balta, İbrahim Üzülmez - Tuncay Şanlı, Mehmet Aurelio, Emre Belözoğlu, Arda Turan - Semih Şentürk, Nihat Kahveci (captain).
The Yellow Canaries continued preparing for next weekend's Eskişehirspor match with a double practice session at Samandıra on Friday. Roberto Carlos and Edu Dracena who missed yesterday's practice joined their team-mates in this afternoon's training session.
Friday morning's practice at the Samandıra Training Facilities began with coach Luis Aragones' team talk on centre pitch. Carlos Cascallana then leaded the team for jogging, warm-ups and coordination drills. The squad then divided up into three groups and played scrimmage matches in turns against each other.
Captain Alex de Souza who is still recovering from his injury trained inside the gym and outside on the pitch under physiotherapist Dolu Arslan's supervision. Youngster Abdülkadir Kayalı who also has slight injury joined Alex in his practice outside on the training ground.
Reserve team goalkeepers Ertuğrul Taşkıran and Alper Piliç were once again present for duty at today's practice. After training with coach Angel Ferez, they took part in the scrimmage matches played during the training session.
After having lunch together at Samandıra, the Yellow Canaries took to the training ground once again in the afternoon. This time they practiced ball stealing and afterwards continued with scrimmage matches.
Meanwhile Brazilian defenders Edu Dracena and Roberto Carlos who missed both yesterday and this morning's practice, joined their team-mates in the afternoon. While Roberto Carlos and Abdülkadir Kayalı trained outside on the pitch, Edu Dracena and Alex de Souza practiced inside the facilities.
Chilean defensive midfielder Claudio Maldonado, in the meantime, received a knock in his right knee in this morning's practice and could not take part in today's second training session. Club doctor Piyer Arzuman reported that the midfielder had began receiving treatment straight away.
Fenerbahçe will resume practicing for the Eskişehirspor fixture tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM.
Spain head coach Vicente Del Bosque spoke to the media on Friday, 24 hours ahead of his team's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Turkey. Del Bosque spoke modestly and admitted that his team wasn't invincible. The former Real Madrid boss didn't hide his excitement to be returning to the Santiago Bernebau and commented that the match-up against Turkey will be a very tough game.
The Spanish National Football Team head coach Vicente Del Bosque held a press conference today in Madrid, ahead of tomorrow evening's 2010 World Cup Group 5 qualifier match against Turkey.
At the beginning of the press conference, Del Bosque was asked to comment about the fact that Spain hadn't lost a single game since November 2006. "One of our obligations is to remember this, but my players know that we are not invincible," replied the experienced coach.
"We will need to work very hard to win, especially against a team like Turkey," continued Vicente Del Bosque. He then stated that all of the players in his squad were fit to play in tomorrow evening's match-up. "So we can field the starting eleven that we believe in," he commented.
When asked to comment about his opponents, Vicente Del Bosque stated that the Turkey's level of football was very high. "They know how to keep possession of the ball and they are a very energetic and very strong team," he said. "It will be a very tough match," added Del Bosque.
"Turkey currently sits 11th in the FIFA World Rankings," stated Del Bosque. "Turkish football has recently made very big progress on club level. We will play against a strong team and it will be a difficult match," repeated the head coach.
The former Real Madrid manager then stated that tomorrow evening's match would be a very special occasion for him, as he will coach a team at the Santiago Bernebau for the first time in six years. "I have unforgettable memories at the Bernebau, but for now those are only anecdotes," said Del Bosque, keeping a clear mind on tomorrow's important qualifier.
Turkish journalists then asked Vicente Del Bosque what he thought about the current situation of Fenerbahçe manager Luis Aragones. "He's an extraordinary coach," replied Del Bosque and added that he believed his compatriot will be successful at Fenerbahçe. Vicente Del Bosque lastly added that he still roots for Beşiktaş in the Turkcell Süper Lig.
The Yellow Canaries returned back to the training ground, five days after last Friday's 2-1 league loss against Bursaspor. Everyone in the squad was present on Thursday's practice, excluding players away on national duty, as preparations began for the next TSL fixture; Fenerbahçe will host Eskişehirspor at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu on Sunday, April 5th.
Thursday's practice at the Samandıra Training Facilities began at 18:30 (6:30 PM) with warm-ups conducted by coach Carlos Cascallana. The players then continued the training session with coordination drills and stretching exercises. Fenerbahçe were missing several key players who were away on national duty, as the World Cup qualifiers kick-in this week.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Canaries present for duty in Istanbul completed Thursday afternoon's practice with a light tempo practice match supervised by assistant coach Cesar Mendiondo. Fener boss Luis Aragones did not take part in Thursday's practice due to his wife's illness.
Also Brazilian players Roberto Carlos and Edu Dracena were absent in today's training. Both players were reported to have had Aragones' permission and are expected to resume practice in tomorrow evening's training session.
Captain Alex de Souza and youngster Abdülkadir Kayalı, who both have slight injuries, practiced together under physiotherapist Dolu Arslan's supervision. Meanwhile, as Volkan Demirel, Volkan Babacan and Mert Günok were all away on national duty goalkeeper coach Angel Ferez trained youngsters Ertuğrul Taşkıran and Alper Piliç, from the reserves team.
Fenerbahçe will continue training for next Sunday's Eskişehirspor match with a double practice on Friday.
(source:fenerbahceworldwide)
Turkish National Team star Nihat Kahveci knows Spanish football well. The striker currently makes his home at Villareal in La Liga and knows many of the players he'll face this weekend. The Milli Takım footballer knows the odds are against his team this weekend in Madrid, but he says the Turks won't be afraid of the reigning European champs.
No player is better prepared for this weekend's clash with Spain that Nihat Kahveci. The Villareal star gets a first-hand look at Spanish football each week. Türkiye will be the underdog Saturday, but Nihat thinks their "nothing to lose" attitude can help them win the match.
“It is true that it will be a very complicated match not just for us, but for any team who are in the same situation that we are in,” he told Spanish newspaper AS. “
With so many eyes of the world on them, Nihat believes Saturday's match could be a showcase game for his squad. “Playing in such an important ground as the Santiago Bernabeu, we have a chance to demonstrate how good a team we are and that we can make things complicated for any rival,” he said.
The Yellow Submarine star says his teammates will employ many of the same tactics that helped them make a deep run in Euro 2008. “We will stick to the same football philosophy that we showed at Euro 2008 which helped us achieve so much before going out in the semi-finals. We will play a game which will be convenient for us and we will remain true to our style.”
Nihat said the absence of Spanish star Andres Iniesta could be a huge factor in Saturday's game. “Iniesta is an important figure for
He went on to say that while the Turks respect their European opponents, they won't be afraid this weekend in Madrid. “There will be a lot at stake in this match. It is logical to think that this will be a very decisive game against a rival who are at their peak. We have a lot of respect for
(source:fenerbahceworldwide)
Turkish National Team coach Fatih Terim knows his side has a tall task ahead of them over the next week. Türkiye will take on reigning European champs Spain twice in five days starting this weekend. Despite the lofty competition, Terim feels his side will be in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup next summer.
The next two matches will be crucial for Türkiye. A potential berth in the 2010 World Cup is on the line but the Turks must play European giants Spain twice in the next week. Nevertheless, coach Fatih Terim likes his team's chances to be in South Africa next summer.
"I think Spain will win the group, and we will be the runner up," Terim told Spanish sports daily Marca. "But we will be in the World Cup." The Turks play Spain in Madrid on Saturday, then will take on the Euro 2008 champs in Istanbul next Wednesday.
"We have the utmost respect for Spain, but we will not be afraid," Terim told the media outlet. "I am sure that we have a shot at winning. And any positive result will motivate my players to get better."
Terim told Marca that he's been scouting the Spaniards and believes he's found something his team can take advantage of. "They have their powerful sides, but I feel I found their weaknesses," said Terim. "We will try to exploit them."
(source:fenerbahceworldwide)
Spanish National Team coach Vicente Del Bosque spoke with the press Tuesday about his team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The new Spain boss said his team fully respects their Turkish opponents and knows the challenge that awaits them this weekend. Del Bosque also talked about the inclusion of Fenerbahçe striker Dani Güiza and why he chose the struggling star in his current squad.
Vicente Del Bosque told Spanish TV network Veo7 Tuesday that his squad will have to battle if they are going to advance to the 2010 World Cup. Despite being the reigning European champions, the coach said his team takes nothing for granted. He also said his team respects the challenge they'll be presented by the Turks.
"Turkish football is in a constant uprise," Del Bosque said. "The footballers are like soldiers when it comes to the Milli Takım, and the nation is deeply connected to their teams. As a national team, they have a strong character and are very competitive. They are 11th in the FIFA world rankings currently and are 4th in Europe," he said. Del Bosque stopped short of calling the Turks a threat to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The new Spanish boss said Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and England are the most likely candidates to take home the trophy next summer. The Spanish National Team coach said his side would be thrilled with a win and a draw against the Turks in their two upcoming meetings. "Of course four points is a good result," he said when asked about the scenario. Del Bosque commented that four points from the next two matches would almost certainly move them through to qualification. Spain will be without Barcelona stars Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol this weekend, something that concerns Del Bosque. "I hope we won't be affected by their absence. One thing is for sure, we might feel their absence when trying to get past a strong and dangerous team like Türkiye." Del Bosque also defended his inclusion of striker Dani Güiza. The striker led La Liga in scoring last season with Mallorca, but the current Fenerbahçe star has struggled to find his form in Turkish football. "He played well against Bursaspor. His finishing touches are fine and he scored a typical goal, just on the border of an offside. Some say i picked him to help him out, but no, we picked him because of his footballing values," he said. "He completes the team, with Llorente, Torres and Villa. He helped us out against Belgium and he's an important member of the Spanish National Team."
Spain's new boss also talked about his predecessor, current Fenerbahçe coach Luis Aragones, who led the team to the Euro 2008 crown. "First of all, as a footballer and a coach he was one of my idols. He was an example for all of us. We're not in the same generation, but we've always been interacting with each other," Del Bosque said.
(fenerbahceworldwide)
Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is again being linked with a move to Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe Worldwide reported on February 24 that Mancini could be a possible summer replacement for Luis Aragones if the club decides to make a move after the season. Now Turkish and Italian sources are again discussing the possibility of the Italian coach taking over.
According to various Turkish and Italian sources, Mancini is on Fenerbahçe's shortlist as a potential replacement for Luis Aragones. Fans and sources close to the club are putting the heat on the Spanish general as the team continues to slide in league play.
Mancini is the second coach being discussed this week, as Fenerbahçe Worldwide reported on Monday that former coach Christoph Daum is being rumoured as a possible replacement as well. Turkish newspaper Sabah and Fenerbahçe Worldwide reported last month that Mancini is being considered for the Canaries' position.
The 44-year-old Mancini resigned from Inter Milan last season after their knockout in the UEFA Champions League. He won three Italian titles with the club. He also coached fellow Italian sides Lazio and Fiorentina before joining Inter Milan.
Turkish National Team coach Fatih Terim spoke with the media on Tuesday and stated that his team has a number of injuries ahead of this weekend's match. He won't get much sympathy from his counterpart on the Spain sideline, however. Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque told reporters Tuesday that his side will also be without several key players this weekend.
According to Del Bosque, Barcelona stars Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez will both likely miss this weekend's World Cup qualifier with Türkiye. Both were injured in La Liga play against Malaga recently. Iniesta is also expected to miss next weekend's match against the Turks as well with a torn muscle in his right leg. Del Bosque has gone with Juan Manuel Mata as his replacement in the squad.
Hernandez is currently in the Spanish team's camp, but he is undergoing medical test and evaluations to see if he'll be fit to play in either match against the Turks. Additionally, Barcelona defender Carles Puyol is out for this weekend's match due to injury. David Silva, Gerard Pique, and David Villa are all dealing with minor injuries of their own as well. However, all three are expected to see playing time Saturday against Türkiye.
The Milli Takım completed their first training Tuesday to prepare for their upcoming clash against Spain. The team is in Madrid and training at the Real Madrid practice facilities this week. Coach Fatih Terim said his team is facing a number of issues that has him concerned headed into Saturday's match.
Terim spoke with reporters Tuesday following the team's first training session to prepare for Spain. He stated that the squad is facing a number of injury concerns prior to the match. Villareal star Nihat Kahveci is recovering from injury, while Gökhan Ünal and Fenerbahçe star Gökhan Gönül are both dealing with minor injury issues. Bayern Munich star Hamit Altıntop was also ruled out of this weekend's match on Tuesday.
Terim also said his team has some psychological concerns related to club teams dealing with poor results this season. The Turkish boss said he's developed two different squads for this weekend based on injury concerns and player development.
"There are two legs to be played against Spain and all the points we can add up are important," Terim told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't have fear in our dictionary. We deleted the word from our dictionaries many years ago. We will never go out on the field in fear; even if we lose we won't hold back," he said.
Terim also told reporters that while he's confident about his team's chances, their qualification hopes aren't hinging solely on the next two results. "Worst case scenario, even if we lose both matches against Spain, we won't have lost our chance to go to the finals. We will win our next four matches and take the Türk Milli Takımı to where it deserves to go," he said.
The coach is also excited about the atmosphere for this weekend's match. "It will be a historical moment. Not everyone gets to play at the Santiago Bernebau Stadium."
Turkish National Team star Hamit Altıntop is out of this weekend's match against Spain, according to team officials. The Bayern Munich star was injured recently in Bundesliga play and could potentially miss both World Cup qualifying matches against Spain.
Altıntop suffered an injury two weeks ago in a game agaist Hannover 96. Turkish National Team medical staff originally thought he would be able to compete this weekend, but Coach Fatih Terim has ruled him out for Saturday's match.
The Bayern star underwent medical tests and evaluations after arriving in Spain, but team doctors said he would not be fully fit before Saturday. Altıntop will now return to Germany and continue his recovery with Bayern Munich medical staff.
Turkish medical staff are expected to communicate with Bayern doctors throughout the week to decide if Hamit Altıntop will be available for next week's match. A decision on his status for that match is expected to be made in the coming days.
The Turkish National Team arrived in Madrid Monday to begin preparations for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Türkiye will take on Spain this Saturday, then again next week in two crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
The national team was greeted at the Madrid airport by a number of supporters and Milli Takım enthusiasts on Monday. The team then traveled by bus to their headquarters at the Westin Plaza Hotel in Madrid.
The team will train this week at the Real Madrid Sports Complex to prepare for Saturday's match. Their first training will take place Tuesday evening.
With Fenerbahçe and the rest of the league on hiatus this week for national team duty, rumours are swirling about the future of head coach Luis Aragones. The Spanish coach and his wife are currently in Kapadokya (Cappadocia) and will head to Spain later this week to provide commentary for the national team. However, a familiar name is being linked with a potential return to Fener after this season.
According to a report in Hürriyet Monday, former Fenerbahçe boss Christoph Daum is being considered for a return to the club. Daum is currently heading FC Köln in his native Germany. The 55-year-old coached the Canaries from 2003-2006 before Brazilian coach Zico took over.
Medyaspor quotes German reports as saying that Daum will not confirm or deny interest in Fener. "I won't discuss the topic at all," the coach reportedly told German media this week.
Daum is under contract with Köln through 2010 but he could take over Fener as early as next season through provisions that would allow him out of his contract. The German coach led the Canaries to two league titles during his tenure, resigning at the end of the 2005-2006 season. The team lost the title to rivals Galatasaray on the last day of the season that year.
The Turkish champions Fenerbahce Ulker faced Türk Telekom at the Atatürk Sport Arena. Despite coming close with following efforts, the canaries failed in gaining an impressive victory and lost the game with the result 87-78. TÜRK TELEKOM (87): Roderick Blakney 5, Serkan Erdoğan 22, Bekir Yarangüme 17, Barış Özcan 2, Tutku Açık 6, Kenan Bajramovic 9, Erwin Dudley 2, Kristoffer Lang 22, Asım Pars 2 FENERBAHÇE ÜLKER (78): Marques Green 5, Mirsad Türkcan 14, Ömer Onan 10, Semih Erden 2, Gordan Giricek 9, Damir Mrsic 15, Gasper Vidmar, Ömer Aşık 8, Oğuz Savaş 6, Devin Smith 7, Emir Preldzic 2 1. QUARTER: 21-19
2. QUARTER: 22-18
3. QUARTER: 26-23
4. QUARTER: 18-18
Fenerbahçe right winger Colin Kazım-Richards is once again subject to transfer rumours which link him with a move back to the UK. This time, the Premiership side interested in transferring Kazım-Richards is Portsmouth FC who are reportedly preparing an offer worth 3 Million Pounds for the 22-year old Turkish international attacking midfielder.
On Saturday, Turkey's Vatan newspaper rumoured that English side Portsmouth FC were monitoring Fenerbahçe's right winger Colin Kazım-Richards. A report written by Feridun Niğdelioğlu suggested that the Pompey club had set aside 3 Million Pounds for the transfer; a substantial offer indeed for Fener who had transfered the East Londoner for 1.8 Million Pounds two seasons ago.
Currently there is big unrest between the 22-year old attacking midfielder and Fenerbahçe manager Luis Aragones. The talented youngster has had 'disciplinary' issues with the Spanish coach, as the Turkish press has constantly reported.
Also, ever since the arrival of right winger Gökhan Emreciksin, Kazım-Richards has become the unwanted man in the squad. Once a constant first-team member for Fenerbahçe, battling it out on the pitch with players from top clubs like Sevilla and Chelsea in the Champions League last season, Colin Kazım-Richards has now become sidelined. Lastly he wasn't even picked by Aragones for the 18-man match roster against Bursaspor on Friday.
The 22-year old has also had financial problems with the club, as the press recently reported. He was rumoured to have complained that he wasn't properly receiving his payments. Fenerbahçe denied these reports and had attacked rivals Beşiktaş who were reportedly in contact with the player.
Colin Kazım-Richards, or Kazım Kazım as we call him in Turkey, still has two more years at Fenerbahçe; his contract ends in May 2011. If the Portsmouth rumours are true, then the Yellow Canaries may have a profitable offer in their hands at the end of the season.
Milli Takım Coach Fatih Terim named his squad for the team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers earlier today. The team will face European champions Spain twice in the coming weeks in hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Five Fenerbahçe footballers were named to the roster for the upcoming games.
Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, defender Gökhan Gönül, midfielders Colin Kazım-Richards and Emre Belözoğlu, as well as striker Semih Şentürk were all named to the Turkish National Team squad. Türkiye will take on Spain on March 28 and again on April 1. The full roster for the matches is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Volkan Demirel (Fenerbahçe), Rüştü Reçber (Beşiktaş), Ufuk Ceylan (Manisaspor)
Defenders: Gökhan Gönül (Fenerbahçe), Sabri Sarıoğlu, Emre Aşık, Hakan Kadir Balta (Galatasaray), Sedat Bayrak (Sivasspor), İbrahim Kaş (Getafe), Eren Güngör (Kayserispor), İbrahim Üzülmez (Beşiktaş)
Midfielders: Hamit Altıntop (Bayern Münich), Colin Kazım-Richards, Emre Belözoğlu (Fenerbahçe), Ayhan Akman, Arda Turan (Galatasaray), Mehmet Aurelio (Real Betis), Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund), Mevlüt Erdinç (Sochaux), Tuncay Şanlı (Middlesbrough)
Forwards: Nihat Kahveci (Villarreal), Batuhan Karadeniz (Eskişehirspor), Semih Şentürk (Fenerbahçe), Gökhan Ünal (Trabzonspor), Sercan Yıldırım (Bursaspor)
Fenerbahçe manager Luis Aragones spoke to the press after his team's 2-1 loss at the hands of Bursaspor on Friday evening. The Spanish coach admitted that the team has not been performing well and that the five points dropped in the last two weeks have put them in an even tougher position.
The Yellow Canaries boss began his post-match press conference at Bursa by stating that his team had dropped five points in the last two weeks. "These have been games in which we haven't been able to play well," admitted Luis Aragones. "Today we were able to find the goal and it stayed like that for a long time; but then we conceded goals," he said.
Luis Aragones said he didn't have a clear vision on the position Bursaspor earned a penalty-kick. "But the truth is, we didn't play well," admitted the Fener boss. "And now our job has become a bit more difficult," stated the experienced coach.
Aragones was then reminded of something he had constantly repeated in the past few weeks. "What I meant in saying the last five or six weeks will determine who wins the Championship was that we would be two or three points either in front of or behind the top of the table," answered Aragones. "I hadn't imagined this," he admitted. "But after these games, we can see that we've lost a few things," added the Fener boss.
"After scoring today, we wanted to play counter-attack football, but we couldn't do that properly," claimed Luis Aragones. "On the other hand, our opponent was doing things the right way," he said. "We couldn't take control of the play," admitted the Yellow Canaries coach.
"We have made too many bad passes in the last two games," admitted Luis Aragones. "If you lose the ball this much, you're bound to receive many attacks on your goal," he explained as he ended his words on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Bursaspor coach Ertuğrul Sağlam thanked his players for their performance and stated that they deserved to win against Fenerbahçe.
On Friday evening, Fenerbahçe fans watched an exact repeat of last week's Kocaelispor match. The only difference was that this time Fenerbahçe were the visiting team and that their opponents Bursaspor managed to bag two goals in the last eight minutes of play to secure their win. Fenerbahçe's title hopes slowly began fading away, as the Yellow Canaries left three important points at Bursa: 2-1.
This was to be the fifth clash between Bursaspor and Fenerbahçe this season. Either than the Turkcell Süper Lig match in the first half of the season, the two teams were in the same Fortis Turkish Cup group and had also played two fixtures in the knock-out phase of the cup. The Yellow Canaries had owned the Bursa Crocs in all the four matches played prior to Friday evening's match.
Fenerbahçe had one very important name missing from their squad, as captain Alex de Souza was out due to an injury. This led to Luis Aragones fielding last season's top goalscorers of La Liga and the Turkcell Süper Lig, Dani Güiza and Semih Şentürk, side by side in attack.
Volkan Demirel was back in the Canaries goal, after his two match ban was cut down prior to Friday evening's match. Meanwhile, Selçuk Şahin had replaced Deniz Barış in central midfield as the team's defensive midfielder.
Fenerbahçe was once again kicking off the action with the opening game of the week and was hoping to win this time. And the Yellow Canaries gave a quick start to the match as Spanish striker Dani Güiza scored in the fourth minute of play. Uğur Boral passed out to Güiza who entered the box and cooly flicked the ball over Bursaspor keeper Ivankov: 0-1. The Canaries striker was slightly off-sides when Uğur passed the ball in front to him, as the replay showed very clearly.
The Yellow Canaries were up early, but there was a whole ninety minutes ahead of both teams. Bursaspor was seeking to retaliate with forward Sercan Yıldırım, but neither of his shots were challenging Fener keeper Volkan Demirel.
Dani Güiza was close to getting on the scoresheet for a second time on 17 minutes, but his shot from inside a flurry of defenders in the box brushed by the Bursaspor post. Eight minutes later, he rushed to get hold of the ball when Bekir Ozan's back pass fell short, but Ivankov was fast to punch the ball away.
Bursaspor was continuing their hunt for goals at the opposite side of the pitch, this time with Korean forward Shin Young on 26 minutes. Shin's strong shot however, failing to beat goalkeeper Volkan Demirel.
Eight minutes later, Fenerbahçe was yet again close to finding their second goal of the match. This time it was Semih Şentürk who missed an important opportunity. Uğur Boral rushed in from the left flank and sent the ball inside the box where Semih took a shot on goal, but Bursaspor's Mustafa Keçeli slid to send the ball to a corner-kick.
Fenerbahçe's Emre Belözoğlu and Bursaspor's Bekir Ozan received yellow cards on 38 minutes, for their tackles on each other. Both players thus receiving their fourth consecutive yellow cards and being suspended for the following Turkcell Süper Lig fixture.
Bursaspor could have got one back before the half-time whistle, but defender Tuna Üzümcü was unable to kick a ball that was crossed inside the box from a corner-kick. The ball was eventually cleared away by the Fener defence. Meanwhile, it was seen on the replay that Diego Lugano had shoved a Bursaspor player inside the box during this position.
This time it was Bursaspor who found quick chances in the second half of the match. On 49 minutes, Bursa's Sercan Yıldırım passed by two defenders, entered the Fener box and found a one-on-one with goalkeeper Volkan Demirel. But he missed as he sent the ball wide of the Fenerbahçe goal.
Bursaspor was continuing the waves of attack, three minutes later, with Bekir Ozan Has. Bekir had received a good pass from Bursaspor midfielder Volkan Şen, but Bekir's shot hit the advertising panels to the right of the Canaries goal. One minute later, Sercan Yıldırım was injured after colliding with Volkan Demirel as he was trying to header a cross he had received from the left flank.
Bursaspor was adding on the pressure to find an equaliser and was threatening the Fenerbahçe defence. The Yellow Canaries found a chance on 58 minutes with right back Gökhan Gönül who headered the ball at the back post. The ball went wide of the Bursaspor goal.
Fenerbahçe defender Diego Lugano received a yellow card on 61 minutes, that earned him a suspension for the Week 26 fixture against Eskişehirspor. Meanwhile Luis Aragones made his first substitution of the match replacing Deivid de Souza with right winger Gökhan Emreciksin.
Bursaspor was building even more pressure on Fenerbahçe now with attacks from Volkan Şen, Gökhan Güleç and Maxim Romashenko, the latter two who were added onto the game by Bursa coach Ertuğrul Sağlam. Luis Aragones was also trying to strengthen his midfield this time changing his left winger, introducing Gökçek Vederson into the game.
Brazilian left back Roberto Carlos was close to scoring from a long distance free-kick on 75 minutes, but Bursaspor goalie Ivankov managed to parry Carlos' strong shot away. Four minutes later, Selçuk Şahin gave it a go as the defensive midfielder took a shot on Emre Belözoğlu's cross, but his shot was blocked by the Bursaspor defence.
Fenerbahçe came again, this time on 84 minutes with right winger Gökhan Emreciksin. Gökhan received Dani Güiza's pass and entered the Bursa box from the right hand side and quickly took a strong shot, but Bursa keeper Ivankov did well to keep the ball out.
The Yellow Canaries had to miss three times, before Bursaspor found the equaliser on 86 minutes with defender Tuna Üzümcü. Maxim Romashenko's free-kick from the left midfield found Tuna in an empty position inside the box. Tuna freely kicked the ball behind the net: 1-1. Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was just looking in the air and did not take a dive to save the ball.
Fenerbahçe had been leading for more than eighty minutes, but had been weak in attack thus unable to extend their lead. And now with the score equalised, both teams had only a few minutes left to find the winning goal of the match. Luis Aragones meanwhile was making his final substitution of the night, replacing Semih Şentürk with Gürhan Gürsoy.
It would be Bursaspor who scored the winning goal on the fourth and final minute of additional time, 90+4. Referee Halis Özkahya called for a penalty when Gökçek Vederson tackled Sercan Yıldırım inside the Fener box. Bursaspor's goalkeeper Ivankov took the penalty very cooly and sent Volkan Demirel to the wrong side to win the match for his team: 2-1.
Bursaspor had scored twice in the final eight minutes of play and had cruised over a very dismal and poor Fenerbahçe who were unable to finish the game with the 1-0 lead they had protected for the majority of the game.
STADIUM: Bursa Atatürk Stadium
REFEREES: Halis Özkahya, Adil Sinem & Muhittin Gürses (assistant referees), Abdullah Yılmaz (fourth official)
BURSASPOR: Ivankov, Tuna Üzümcü, Ömer Erdoğan, İbrahim Öztürk, Mustafa Keçeli, Veli Acar (64th, Maxim Romashenko), Mustafa Sarp, Bekir Ozan Has, Volkan Şen (84th, Halil Zeybek), Shin Young (63rd, Gökhan Güleç), Sercan Yıldırım
FENERBAHÇE: Volkan Demirel, Gökhan Gönül, Diego Lugano, Edu Dracena, Roberto Carlos, Deivid de Souza (61st, Gökhan Emreciksin), Emre Belözoğlu, Selçuk Şahin, Uğur Boral (73rd, Gökçek Vederson), Dani Güiza, Semih Şentürk (82nd, Gürhan Gürsoy)
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