What happened in Turkish football today? 03.03.2016

Besiktas has treated Turkish Cup less importantly than Super League and hence it went out of competion.

Konyaspor has managed to bring one of the main surprises at the Turkish Cup by winning Besiktas with 1:0 scoreline at the quarter-final 2nd leg game and hence getting to semi-final with 3:1 aggregate scoreline, however this result should not be treated as surprise.

Looking at the overall performance by Besiktas at the Turkish Cup including group stages it was observed that team was not providing its best performance with comparison to Super League both in sense of the selection of players at starting 11 and effort given by those players. So, with Besiktas treating 2nd tournament in country in minor way should be seen as normal result that Konyaspor managed to get to semi-final stage. The game itself was played tactically with both teams controlling game which of course went into hands to Konyaspor as it had one goal advantage but not strong one as 1 goal by Besiktas would make them go through however it was game where 1 goal would decide many things and this goal has come from Konyaspor player Meha at 85th minute. Konyaspor with this mindset wanted semi-final more than Besiktas and it got it.

Besiktas main aim for this season is to win Super League and it will carry on fighting for that title until end of the Super League. Even through after game it will make announcements that it is sorry to be out, it had got rid of one distraction to get to ultimate goal.

Konyaspor which with head coach Aykut Kocaman is having very good season is also continuing heads up at the Turkish Cup and would meet against Fenerbahce whose for now fights for league title and Europa League among cup. This matter might give slight advantage to Konyaspor at semis.

Fenerbahce carries on competing at all competitions it can be.

Fenerbahce carries on competing at all of the 3 tournaments it can compete at, after winning Amed Sportif at the Turkish Cup quarter-final 2nd leg game with 3:1 scoreline hence making aggregate score impressive 6:4 for both clubs.

Compare to 1st leg game, task for Fenerbahce ended up being much easier and calmer with using its strong advantage of home ground despite of low number of supporters at the game. Both teams in fact started in a good way with passing around at the opponents half but with better quality Fenerbahce compare to 2nd tier at league system opponent it managed to get to dangerous attacks with two of them being converted to goals. In fact, during whole game Fenerbahce had always control of game and could win game with bigger goal difference. It had conceded the goal at the moment when it had lost concentration with comfortable 2:0 win which was smartly used by Amed Sportif. Fenerbahce has played game at second gear even through it surely had shown sign of respect to its opponents.

Fenerbahce is only team at Turkey which can become champions at the end of season, is among top 4 teams at Turkish Cup and is at Europa League last 16 stage. Fenerbahce head coach Vitor Pereira despite of criticism has made team which seeks to win each game. Right now team will focus into crucial game against Akhisar Belediyespor and after to its Europa League last 16 opponent Braga.

Meanwhile, Amed Sportif, despite of losing quarter-final has surely become the team of the tournament as being from 2nd tier it had went until quarter-final with impressive results including from 1st leg game against Fenerbahce. Amed Sportif possibly has become only team this season which characterises classic cup team.

It wont be easy to get Turkish Cup for Galatasaray.

Despite of providing of poor performance at the two legs of the Turkish Cup quarter-final game against Akhisar Belediyespor, Galatasaray still managed to get to the semi-final stage of the competition which it has only chance to get some title.

With UEFA providing 1 year ban from European tournaments for not following FFP guidelines importance of winning Turkish Cup has become even more important as in normal case it would provide them legitimacy to European tournaments next year and hence allow them to go through the ban, as there is chance for a team to get Champions League next season. Akhisar Belediyespor meanwhile did not provide its best squad at the two leg games and hence helped Galatasaray to get that spot even through it did almost bring extra-time at the game yesterday. Even through the main focus of the club is to get Turkish Cup it wont be easy for them as Rizespor at semi-final will surely provide tough times as it also being club trying to get European spot with difficulties it has at the league. From now on, no team will feel sorry for Galatasaray at the way to getting this title.

Galatasaray is only 3 games away from getting title and finish at least with something this poor season but once again Rizespor will provide tough times to Galatasaray in 2-leg semi-final games.

Results
Turkish Cup, quarter-finals, 2nd leg
Fenerbahce 3:1 Amed Sportif (agg: 6:4)
Konyaspor 1:0 Besiktas (agg: 3:1)

Schedule
Turkish Super League, 24th week
20:00 Mersin IdmanYurdu- Sivasspor

In other news: 

- Professional Football Disciplinary Committee has recieved fines and bans for last week games:
- Trabzonspor administrator Gokhan Saral has recieved 45 days of deprivation of rights and 30,000 TL fine.
- Eskisehirspor trainer Selcuk Erdogan has recieved 4 game ban and 17,000 TL fine.
- Bursaspor has recieved 20,000 TL fine for behaviour of fans
- Fenerbahce and Gaziantepspor has recieved 100,000 TL fine for behaviour of fans and 15,000 TL fine for not broadcasting rules.
- Galatasaray has recieved 15,000 TL fine for behaviour of fans.

- Turkish National Team stays at 20th position at the FIFA World Ranking for the March with 329 points.

- Kayserispor spokesman Ahmet Yildiz:We had accepted our head coach Tolunay Kafkas resignation. We wanted him to stay but we couldnt keep him

- Trabzonspor spokesman Asim Orem: Our player Onur Kivrak had successful operation this morning. He will not be able to play for 3-4 weeks.

- Galatasaray needs to spend at most 65 million euro for salary towards players at the club.

- Galatasaray plans to have meetings with players regarding of reduction of salary.

- Galatasaray will open case at CAS regarding of UEFA 1-year ban to a team.

- Basaksehirspor player Emre Belezoglu has recieved 1,500 TL fine for using curse words at twitter.

- 19 Mayis Stadium director Riza Cakir: There is no problem at our field. Akhisar Belediyespor and Fenerbahce can be played on 6th March.

- Galatasaray player Sabri Sarioglu has become injured and wont be able to play for 3 weeks.

- Bursaspor has extended contract with its player Aziz Behich until 2019

- Trabzonspor CEO Muharrem Usta: Unfortunately, we are as club dont have much say at Turkish Football Federation and Clubs Union.We are going for change on that. We will be strong at the lobby from now

- Galatasaray will not pay 250,000 Euro bonus to Jose Rodriguez as he didnt play for 30+ games per season, according to contract.

- Trabzonspor are interested to appoint Ersun Yanal as club head coach.

- Liverpool are interested to transfer Fenerbahce player Caner Erkin

- Besiktas are interested to transfer Nice player Hatem Ben Arfa.

- Galatasaray ex-head coach Mustafa Denizli wanted to become clubs sports director but was refused by CEO Dursun Ozbek.

- Galatasaray player Bilal Kisa will not be able to play for 1 week due of injury.

- Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir will referee Saudi Arabian league game between El Ahli and El Shabab on 6th March.