What happened in Turkish football today? 18.10.2016

Besiktas will play its most toughest game so far in this season.

Besiktas is going to play its most tough game so far at this year Champions League as it would play against well in-form Group B opponent Napoli at the 3rd week. So far Napoli has won two previous games at the group with confident scorelines.

This is probably best chance for Besiktas to measure its capability to compete at the Champions League this season as so far it has played against strong opponents, namely Benfica and Dinamo Kiev, but to all respect to them their level is far from top-class teams at the tournament. Besiktas does come to the game at high mood as it didnt lose any single game during this season and has drawn against both Dinamo Kiev and Benfica with 1:1 scoreline in previous games at the group. But it does need to be remembered that Napoli didnt have big issues with same opponents in previous games. It became clear meanwhile that Besiktas head coach Senol Gunes would start with one attacker at the formation with providing chance to Vincent Aboubakar who has so far provided dissapointment to team and its supporters without scoring a single goal so far. Besiktas mainly does need to provide strong defence as it plays against opponent who does score high amount of goals this season.

Meanwhile, if results go in the way how Napoli wants it can qualify to the knock-out stages at the half-way of the group stage, which could provide some advantage at the return game but again this scenario is not really good as it means that Besiktas would lose tomorrow for this to happen and hence will lose advantage at the group for at least for 2nd place.

Trabzonspor still believes that patience is key for future success.

Trabzonspor CEO Muharrem Usta with an inverview to Turkish news agency has stated today that the team does need some patience to improve in this season with taking account of what kind of financial situation the team has been.

Usta underlines that it will be unproductive to expect results straight away with taking this into account and it doesnt aim to do big changes at the squad and change its head coach Ersun Yanal. In view of Usta the issue is inside the team in sense of financially and administrative side and providing changes to technical staff and players will not solve issue. Muharrem Usta is seen to provide patience and believe into better future the character which is very rare at the Turkish football which tends to go to the big changes as soon as there is some negative results at the team. Team does meanwhile hope for good performance at the game against Galatasaray on 22nd October which it sees as chance to get back motivation to the team.

Trabzonspor as been mentioned several times in this blog needs just get motivation boost and it might gain that confidence its seeking for  in upcoming weeks if things are done properly at the team.

Basaksehirspor can become Turkish Leicester City if it stays focussed.

Following 7th week of the Super League, it became clear at least for now that league is developing with 3 teams fighting for top position at the league and could become biggest contestants for league title at the end of the season. Those teams are being Basaksehirspor, Besiktas and Galatasaray.

All of the 3 teams has obtained 17 points with 5 wins and 2 draws, and carrying on this season without any loss. Despite of only 7 weeks to be passed this leaders has arleady have 4 point difference from Bursaspor who is currently at 4th place. Basaksehirspor does have chance to become Turkish version of Leicester City if it stays focus and carries on this performance. Basaksehirspor has stated that it doesnt aim for league title and aims to end at top 4 at the end of the season, announcement normal for team who is at the area of leadership. With league titles being won by only top 4 teams + Bursaspor its normal statement to keep players not being too optimistic and not getting to carried away. Bursaspor has made similar statements,in fact Sivasspor when not getting league title with only 1 loss, head coach Bulent Uygun has stated that he doesnt want to become champion in that season. However, with small steps Basaksehirspor can take this league title at the end of the season if it stays focus.

However, this season will be hard as Besiktas and Galatasaray are so far are being at good form while as remembered when Bursaspor became champion its rivals didnt provide top football in fact. Actually, Bursaspor was 8 points behind leaders at this stage in 2009-10 when it got title so its still early days (there is hope for Fenerbahce fans).

Schedule
UEFA Champions League, Group B, 3rd week: 
21:45 Napoli-Besiktas
21:45 Dinamo Kiev-Benfica

In other news:

- TFF has announced referrals to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee which are: 
- Kayserispor has been referred for behaviour of the fans
- Alanyaspor has been referred for 5 players getting yellow cards and 1 player getting red card during game.
- Trabzonspor has been referred due of events at the field.

- UEFA has appointed Turkish referee Ali Palabayik to referee Europa League 3rd week game between St.Etienne and Qabala.

- Galatasaray administrator Levent Nazifoglu: We have sold problems from last season and it shows in standings.Trabzonspor game will be hard. We are sending players to national team and their return from their injured.Its hard to get from TFF despite of FIFA regulations.We are recieving transfer offers for Bruma and Muslera. But we playing for title right now.

- Gaziantepspor head coach Ismail Kartal: Rajtoral cards has been recieved from actions outside of football. We might give him fine for this

- Trabzonspor has announced that it has reduced salary of its player Dame N'doye from 2,500,000 euro to 1,700,000 euro for rest 2 seasons.

- Fenerbahce administration plans to ask team head coach Dick Advocaat not to leave to Holland prior to Galatasaray game on 20/11.

- Trabzonspor: Our club has used credit of 210 million TL to pay for previous credit debts and 55 million TL to spend short-term debts.

- Galatasaray player Fernando Muslera:My journey this time took longer as I have waited for transfer for 3-4 hours in Panama.I spend 14 hours. I am really enjoying in here and this season football makes me exciting. There is confidence at team

- Galatasaray wants to build its new facilities at the European side and not be too far from its current Florya location

- Fenerbahce player Jeremain Lens is not expecting to play against Manchester United during Europa League 3rd week game.

- Galatasaray player Wesley Sneijder is not expected to be ready for Super League game against Trabzonspor due of injury.

- Galatasaray is expected to start with Josue, Podolski and Cavanda against Trabzonspor during Super League 8th week game.

- Bursaspor player Emre Tasdemir has resumed training session after recovering from injury.

- Fenerbahce player Moussa Sow has resumed training sessions after recovering from injury.

- Besiktas plans to extend contract with its player Dusko Tosic during mid-season.

- Galatasaray player Martin Linnes is looking for new clubs to be transferred in mid-season transfer window.

- Galatasaray player Fernando Muslera plans to stay in club for long time and will name his 2nd child with Turkish name.

- Fenerbahce player Emmanuel Emenike has apologized to head coach Dick Advocaat for his actions during substitute against Alanyaspor.

- Besiktas are interested to transfer Juventus player Jose Martin Caceres.

- Borussia Dortmund are interested to transfer Rizespor player Ogulcan Caglayan.

- Lyon are interested to transfer Galatasaray player Aurelian Chedjou.

- Montreal Impact player Didier Drogba is willing to return to Galatasaray during midseason transfer window

- Fenerbahce are interested to appoint Karabukspor head coach Igor Tudor as club new coach.

- Bayer Leverkusen player Omer Toprak is expected to be transferred to Borussia Dortmund for 4 years with 12 million euro transfer fee.