What happened in Turkish football today? 18/07/2023

4 teams would be relegated in upcoming season.

TFF has announced that 4 teams would be relegated in the end of the upcoming season as it focusses to reduce teams at the Super League to 18 teams as 3 teams would be promoted from lower division league.

TFF has been aiming to reduce number of the teams to 18 in the end of the season but due of devastating earthquake in Hatay and Gaziantep it has been decided to keep teams from both cities into league as they didnt complete season and hence this has led for 20 teams to be staying in the top division. With league to be played once again with 20 leagues this decision to reduce number of teams has been moved as there has been long term conversation at Turkish football community that playing with 20 teams would only do harm to level of league as differences between clubs are being big.

With such decision it could also provide some more exciting fight of survival as more teams would fight to stay in league.

8+3 foreign players limit will be taking place in next season

TFF has also stated that early announced 8+3 foreign player limit would be staying at place as it made an official statement.

Even through lots of clubs with different reasons do state that foreign player limit should be free, this blog has been stated that it should be introduced as there is prevention with free foreign player limit to work with developments of Turkish players especially young ones and hence prevent new Arda Guler's who did come when this system has been in place. Stating that, clubs would need to focus on development of its academies as if it doesnt do that this players limit will be useless for sure.

TFF hence did state that 8+3 foreign players limit would need to stay at the place despite of lots of conversation and viewpoints given from clubs in this matter.

Istanbul aims to host Conference League or Europa League on 2016 or 2017

Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas have send seperate request towards UEFA to host either Europa League or Conference League final games rather on 2016 and 2017.

With Istanbul without doubt being able to host pretty successful Champions League tournament this May and also having other history of hosting UEFA competitions, it has set an eye for another final this time at Conference League and Europa League. With providing bid for 2 season at two different competitions and 3 cities meanwhile has raised its possibilities, as UEFA does state that bid in future would need to change to one stadium. Istanbul did prove several times its capacity to host this tournament and chances could be seen as pretty high.

UEFA has accepted those bids and would now consider them as there some other candidade bids given to UEFA.

Results:

UEFA Champions League, 1st qualifying round, 2nd leg:

Struga 1:2 Zalgiris (agg: 1:2) (Zalgiris has been drawn to Galatasaray during Champions League 2nd qualifying round)

In other news:

- TFF has announced scheduling of Super League 2023-24 season:

- Starting date: 11th August

- Mid-season break: 25th December - 5th January

- End of season: 19th May

1st half would consist of 20 weeks, 2nd half of 18th weeks

- Besiktas has won pre-season friendly game against Mezokovesd Zsory with 4:0 scoreline.

- Galatasaray has lost pre-season friendly game against Sturm Graz with 2:0 scoreline.

- Alanyaspor has won pre-season friendly game against Konyaspor with 3:0 scoreline

- UEFA has announced referees for Conference League 1st qualifying round 2nd leg games:

- Gjilani-Progres Niederkorn: Yasar Kemal Ugurlu

- Milsami-Panevezys: Erkan Ozdemar.

- Basaksehirspor has signed sponsorship deal with Rams for 3-years.

- Goztepe has signed Konyaspor player Mame Diouf for 2-years.

- Istanbulspor has signed OFI player Apostolos Diamintis for 3-years.

-  Basaksehirspor has transferred Krzystof Piatek for 2-years.

- Genclerbirligi has loaned Basaksehirspor players Wu Shaogong and Francis Nzaba.

- Antalyaspor has loaned Lens player Adam Buksa.

- Sassuolo are interested to transfer Besiktas player Salih Ucan

- Lazio has offered 15 million euro for Galatasaray player Lucas Torreira.

- Bournemouth, Leeds United, Rangers and Troyes are interested to transfer Fenerbahce player Bright Osayi.

- Trabzonspor are close to make transfer deal with Porto player Wilson Manafa.

- Nantes has loaned Ankaragucu player Lamine Diack for 500,000 euro with 2 million euro transfer option.

- AlShabab are interested to transfer Besiktas player Rachid Ghezzal.

- Trabzonspor are considering to sell its players Mario Gomez, Enis Bardhi and Manolis Siopis.

- Fenerbahce has made transfer deal with Olympique Marseille player Bartug Yilmaz.

- Besiktas has made loan deal with Southampton player Lyanco

- Alanyaspor and Kasimpasa are interested to transfer Kenneth Omeruo.