Trabzonspor Coach Ersun Yanal Resigned!

Trabzonspor coach Ersun yanal call it quits with Trabzonspor after a disaster lost to Turkish Tukcell Super League leader Sivasspor over the weekend.

He came to Trabzonspor with big expectations and he is going out as a quitter just like what he did in Vestel Manisapor.

The Trabzonspor Club President and Ersun Yanal will hold a joint press conference on Tuesday in Trabzon.

He was pressured to resign by club official and fans after Trabzonspor dream ended in Sivas.

I wonder if he resigned or sacked by team officials?...

We will find out tomorrow!


AHMET TURGUT

Besiktas Player Holosko, Wanted by English Teams!...

According to reports from British Media, Spurs and Liverpool definetly after Besiktas's Slovakian player Holosko.

Holosko is like Thierry Henry!...

Besiktas player Cisse said “He is a fast and powerful player. He has just the same profile as Thierry Henry, his idol. His only flaw is that he sometimes lacks cold blood in front of goal."

PSG are apparently ready to pay €10m for Hološko, but Besiktas, looking for around €12m.

Besiktas paid &5m and two players to Vestel Manisaspor.

AHMET TURGUT

THERE IS A NEW "ANATOLIA" KINGS IN TURKEY!

Meet the new Anatolian kings.,.....Sivasspor.

They just demolished the team that wear the "king" hat in the Anatolia of Turkey.


What I saw on Saturday , was a "total team" on the pitch.

They scored three unanswered goals, against the team one time ruled the Anatolian teams and was the only and first team ever to win a Turkish League Championship...

Trabzonspor!...........

This Trabzonspor, looked sick, on the field Today....

Sivasspor beat Trabzonspor not with their forwards but, their midfield and defense players...

Actually all there goal scored by defenders and midfielder....

I have never seen Sivasspor click this good, until this match.

They did surprise me,Today.....

I thought , Trabzonspor was better than Sivasspor as a team....

Well, I was wrong, I have a egg on my face, because of that!...

With wining this match after saying good- bye to Turkish Cup in the mid week , they are focused on the League Championship.

If they play like this next four weekend , they will be the Champions of Turkey!..

No, question about that...

But, Constancy is a major problem for Sivasspor too..

If they stay on this track they will do it in my opinion...

This was the first match Sivasspor scored three goals since December 17th 20008 when they beat Istanbul Buyuksehir with three goals in Istanbul.

Speaking of Istanbul Buyuksehir , they just loss to dead last team Hacettepe on Saturday and they are in deep trouble!..

They are actually in the relegation zone after this weekend...

Hacettepe won the match, 2-1......


FENERBAHCE IS ON VACATION!.....

What a disaster for Fenerbahce and Fenerbahce fans!....

They loss another home match to the team who was desperate for points too stay alive in the league.....Ankaragucu!


They loss to Ankaragucu at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.....

And they might lose the fifth place to Bursaspor if Bursaspor wins their match on Sunday.


So, after Saturday in the league, we know Sivasspor is the still leader of Turkish Turkcell Super league.

Coming Up On Sunday...........


Besiktas has to win if they want to stay on Sivasspor bud!...

There is one problem, the team they are playing against is in desperate for points!

Actually, this is stretch time for teams on top and for teams who wants to stay alive in the league!

Who ever put on the clutch ,will win games and points.....

Here is the Sunday matches in the Turkish Super League....( times are Turkey local times)

14:00 Bursaspor v Denizlispor
14:00 Genclerbirligi v Gaziantepspor
14:00 Kayserispor v Konyaspor
14:00 Kocaelispor v Antalyaspor
16:15 Eskisehirspor v Besiktas
20:00 Galatasaray v Ankaraspor



AHMET TURGUT



WATCH SIVASSPOR V TRABZONSPOR HIGHLIGHTS.........

Reuters:Turkey's Sivasspor fixed on historic title win

ISTANBUL, April 24 (Reuters) - Five weeks separate surprise Turkish league leaders Sivasspor from wresting the title from an Istanbul club for the first time in 25 years, a feat the team says would boost the league's status and delight most of Turkey.

Sivasspor, knocked out of the Turkish Cup this week, lead Istanbul's Besiktas by just one point with 57 points and face third-placed Trabzonspor on Saturday.

Mid or low-ranked opponents then follow but the final game of the season will take Sivasspor to Istanbul to meet titleholders Galatasaray at home, currently with 51 points.

"Most people in Turkey are going for us. Obviously we are not one of the big Istanbul teams...and it would be great for the league if a team besides the big three won," Sivasspor goalkeeper Michael Petkovic told Reuters by phone.

"We are going into each game like its our last. We are giving it all our best," added the Australian.

The last non-Istanbul team to win the league was Trabzonspor in the 1983-1984 season. Only four teams have ever won the title: Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor.

Sivasspor, who have led the league since late December and could qualify for the Champions League, were holding their nerve, the goalkeeper said.

"All the players are quite relaxed, we're still enjoying training every day, enjoying going out and winning."

Turks have been puzzling over the team's unexpected success for months, putting Sivasspor's winning form down to the influence of coach Bulent Uygun.

"He was a very good player in his time, he is still a young coach and understands what footballers think and knows what to say. He doesn't put too much pressure on us," said Petkovic.

"He has drawn a strong group of players -- we are not all superstars but we fight for each other."

Uygun, 37, has joked that Sivas, located in conservative Central Anatolia, offers little distractions for players, and as he knows the bars he is told as soon as a player buys alcohol.

Nicknamed "the soldier", Uygun has a website (www.bulentuygun.com) which includes poems he has written to Turkey's founder Mustapha Kemal Ataturk and rousing folk music.

"Actually if you compare us to the rest of the clubs in Turkey we are one of the most relaxed clubs in the league... We haven't got that military thing about us," said Petkovic.

Petkovic has modest expectations of the team's Champions League chances: "Just getting there would be a great achievement for us. It doesn't mean we have to win a game or win a point."

By Alexandra Hudson
Reuters

UEFA CUP IS IN ISTANBUL!

(Photo Courtsy of TFF)


Last years UEFA Cup holders St Petersburg Zenit returned on Thursday the trophy to UEFA President Michel Platini at a ceremony held in Istanbul ahead of this year's final game.

"I have seen a great enthusiasm here and I believe it would be fantastic final," Platini told the ceremony.

Istanbul's Sukru Saracoglu Stadium is set to host the final match, which is scheduled for May 20.

Platini handed over to Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas the trophy which is set to stay in the city for display until the final game.

"I am very excited. This is the greatest chance that a mayor could ever get," Topbas told reporters.


Source: Turkish wires

UEFA PRESIDENT VISITS TURKISH STADIUM AHEAD OF UEFA CUP FINAL

Platinini in Sukru Saracoglu Stadium In Istanbul,Turkey with TFF President and Fenerbahce President(Picture courtesy of TFF)

The head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) visited on Thursday a Turkish stadium ahead of UEFA Cup final.

UEFA President Michel Platini visited the Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, which will host the UEFA Cup final, in May.

Platini will later attend a ceremony at the Esma Sultan Mansion in which representatives of the Zenit team of Russia, which won the cup last year, will hand over the trophy to Turkish executives.

The UEFA Cup final will take place at the Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on May 20.

Michel Platini warns against match-fixing

UEFA resident Michel Platini reiterated Thursday that combatting match-fixing was his organization's top priority.

"The greatest danger to football is match-fixing," Platini said. "UEFA is investing a lot to combat match-fixing. Platini also defended a ruling that banned Macedonian club FK Pobeda from European competitions for eight years for rigging the outcome of a Champions League qualifier.

"It is a clear message that all those who are implicated in match-fixing and illegal betting will not be playing again," he said. "This was done to safeguard football."

Platini was speaking at a news conference following a ceremony in which last season's champion Zenit St. Petersburg handed over the UEFA Cup trophy ahead of the May 20 final to be played in Istanbul.

Two teams from Ukraine - Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donestsk - and two German teams - Werder Bremen and Hamburg - are in the running for the title.

It is the last time the competition is held under the UEFA Cup name and format. Next season the tournament will be renamed the Europa League.

Platini also restated that he favours a system whereby a referee can stop a game completely if fans chant racial slurs toward a player.

Platini said a referee would suspend the game for 10 minutes as a warning and end the game if racial abuse continues.

"A match is nothing compared to the seriousness of racism," Platini said.


Source: Turkish and other news wires

DESPITE THE LOSS BESIKTAS IN THE FORTIS TURKISH CUP FINALS

WATCH BESIKTAS V ANKARASPOR HIGHLIGHTS HERE.....
BESIKTAS 1 -2 ANKARASPOR
After winning the first match 3-1 in Ankara Besiktas qualified for the finals in Fortis Turkish Cup despite a 2-1 defeat at home . Ankaraspor went for the victory from the start.In the twenty-two minutes of the match, they went ahead on the scoreboard with Gabonese Roguy Meye goal, But the Slovak Filip Holosko tied to the half hour.

Ankaraspor's Omer Aysan Baris scored the 1-2 in the absence of nine minutes for the closure. And despite their final thrust failed to mark the third. Besiktas, which accumulates seven Cup titles, the last two years ago and has six other disputed final will face Fenerbahce in the finals. Besiktas and Fenerbahce will face in the final game on May 7th in Bursa, Turkey.

In the 47-year history of Turkey Cup final, Besiktas played 13 times, 7 times the cup was taken to a museum. the most recent one was at 2006-2007 season.


AHMET TURGUT

Fenerbahce Reaches The Fortis Turkish Cup Finals

After having disaster year in the Turkcell Super League, Fenerbahce fans finally have something good to talk about their team.

Fenerbahce just advanced to the Fortis Turkish Cup Finals after going scoreless in Sivas against League's top team Sivasspor in the second leg match.

In the First leg match in Istanbul, Fenerbahce beat Sivasspor with a huge score 3-1.

A draw was good for them to advance to the finals.

Fenerbahce, seeking their fifth Cup title, a tournament that they reluctant to win since 1983. Fenerbahce will face the winner of the other semifinal, between Besiktas and Ankaraspor , most likely it will be Besiktas.
Besiktas accumulate seven Cup trophies, most recently two years ago, Furthermore, They played in six other finals.

AHMET TURGUT

TURKISH FORTIS CUP SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG MATCHES

The Fortis Turkish Cup , starts with the Sivasspor-Fenerbahce match on Tuesday. Sivas will try to overcome a 3-1 deficit from the first leg math when they host Fenerbahce in Sivas, Fenerbahce's only hope is now, Turkish Fortis Cup.

On Wednesday, Besiktas will host Ankaraspor in Istanbul.

Besiktas Missed The Chance To Move On Top

Ten man Besiktas team just could not pass Bursaspor on Sunday night in Istanbul.

The scene was all there, with their 12th man , who did not stop chanting, until last minutes of th match.

In the last game of the week 28 in Turkish Turkcell Super League, Besiktas was hopeful of taking over the lead position. After all, Sivasspor, had lost 2 points on Saturday.

Besiktas was troubled by the dismissal of Ibrahim Toraman. With their defensive star red carded, Besiktas had to play the second half with 10 players.

The scoreless draw kept Besiktas at the second position.

GALATASARAY ON THE MOVE!

Well, although they won the match againstIstanbul B.B, with one goal, Galatasaray did not play good football!..

But, Galatasaray had their hopes of a championship title is on the line again by a 1-0 victory against İstanbul BB. Galatasaray's only goal came at 66th minute when Nonda passed the ball to Milan Baros who was left all along by him self in the far corner,did the easy thing, score the Galatasaray's only goal.

Galatasaray player,Lincoln, played full ninety minutes of this match.

Also on Sunday ,Denizlispor beat Kocaelispor 2-1 and pretty much killed Kocaelispor's hope to stay in the league.

Antalyaspor after beating league's though team Kayserispor at home 2-1 , took a deep breath.....

Ankaragucu after winning against Eskisehirspor 3-2. still fighting for their life in the league .

League's last place team draw Gaziantep in Gaziantep, 0-0.

So, At the end of the 28th week, in the Turkish Super League, we know two things, for sure.

Kocaelispor and Hacettepe will go down to lower division......

And we know, Fenerbahce team who was in the quarter finals of the Champions League last year, will not be in the race, for the Turkish Championship, this season!

Those are pretty much facts, now....

What is unknown, is, who will be the third team,that will bite the dust, in the league.

Is it going to be, Ankaragucu,Istanbul B.B,Konyaspor,Denizlispor or Genclerbirligi!..

And finally, after both of the top team losing points this weekend, it is very difficult to say who will be the Champions of Turkey this season..

We know one thing , Sivasspor on top 57 points and Besiktas is breading on their shoulder with 56 points on second place.

After Trabzon winning this weekend , they are only 4 points behind Sivasspor and 3 points away from Besiktas.

And Hopeful Galatasaray, is on fourth with 51 points...

Although, Galatasaray, might seem a far away from top but, they still have games against Sivasspor and Trabzonspor.

So, If Galatasaray shapes up, and The rookie coach Bulent Korkmaz, start thinking like a champion coach, they might have a sure shot at the top!.....

Lastly, next two weekends will be very crutual for Turkish Super League Leader Sivasspor.

This weekend They will face Trabzonspor at their home field and following weekend they will travel to Gaziantepspor .

And let's not the last match of the season against Galatasaray in Istanbul.

So, Sivasspor will face some hurdles, on the way!...


STANDINGS

Position Team Wins Points
1 Sivasspor 16 57
2 Beşiktaş 16 56
3 Trabzonspor 15 53
4 Galatasaray 15 51
5 Fenerbahçe 14 48
6 Bursaspor 12 45
7 Kayserispor 10 40
8 Ankaraspor 11 39
9 Gaziantepspor 10 39
10 Antalyaspor 9 35
11 Eskişehirspor 8 33
12 Gençlerbirliği 8 32
13 Denizlispor 9 32
14 Konyaspor 8 31
15 MKE Ankaragücü 8 30
16 Büyükş Bld.Spor 8 30
17 Kocaelispor 6 23
18 Hacettepe 3 16



AHMET TURGUT

Could Besiktas Capture The Top Spot In Turkish Super League?.

After Sivasspor was held by Konyaspor in Konya to a scoreless draw , Besiktas has a chance to capture the Turkish Turkcell Super League top spot if they win against Bursaspor on Sunday night in Istanbul.

Turkcell Super League 28th week started with Trabzonspor against Genclerbirlgi on Friday and Tranbzonspor after beating Genclerbirligi with two unanswered goals.

With this win Trabzonspor stayed in the race for the top spot.

SATURDAY WRAP:

There was only two matches on Saturday in The Turkish Turkcell Super League.

In the early match in Konya, League Leader Sivasspor had a Konya obstacle in their plate and they knew that!..

Because, Konyaspor was desperate for points to get out of the danger zone of the league.

And They respected the Konyaspor coach Giray Bulak, they new he would have his team ready against them.

In the ninety minutes of the they were some hits and misses on both goals...

Sivasspor's two shots came of the wood works...

Konyaspor also had a lot of chance in the second half but could not cash in.

At the end both of the teams were not happy with results.
Konysaspor wanted a three points to reach 33 point mark . On the other hand Sivasspor

lost momentum from their bid to Turkish Championship, in my opinion.

Ever since Sivasspor Benched Balili, Sivaspor is not the Sivasspor we watched in the first half of the season.

I think , Balili and Mehmet Yildiz, up front, clicked more better in my opinion.

If Sivaspor keeps losing point like this they might even end up losing the second place .

This should be a wake up call for Sivasspor.

Because, at the end of this weekend , they might lose the topp spot to Besiktas than
they still have to face Trabzonspor and Galatasaray yet, in the League.

That is why , crucial weeks start for Sivasspor after this weekend

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO FENERBAHCE?....

This is the question that every Fenerbahce fans are asking them self's..

What Happened to the team that played in last year's quarter final, in the UEFA Champions League!

Well, Fenerbahce on Saturday in Ankara, went down again one more time.

This time against Ankaraspor .

The former Fenerbahce legend player Aykut Kocaman, who coaches Ankaraspor, beat his former team.

Fenerbahce was missing Alex, Semih, Edu, Lugano and goalkeeper Volkan.

This was the must win match for Fenerbahce in order to continue its chance to catch up the other teams on top.

Fenerbahce is nine points behind the current leader Sivasspor with 48 points.

If Fenerbahce does not win their all six reaming matches in The league ,they could well be left out of European competition next season.

That would be a disaster for Fenerbahce Fans...

I Think, Fenerbahce President made a huge mistake when he let go Brazilian great Zico, after he took Fenerbahce to Champions League quarter finals.

This is a perfect sample about Turkish Football in general!..

Constancy, is the big problem with Turkish Football...

We could say this, about Turkish National Team and Fatih Terim...

We could say this, about Galatasaray team who won the UEFA cup...

And now, we could say this about Fenerbahce.......

SUNDAY SHOW DOWN ..................

The match of the week will be between Besiktas nad Bursaspor in Istanbul, in my opinion.


After watching , Sivasspor losing points, Besiktas will be more focused in this match.

But, Bursaspor is not easy team to beat, though!

As a matter of fact,they are coached by Former Besiktas coach Ertugrul Saglam, who earlier in the season coached Besiktas.

He knows the Besiktas team well....

But,I am sure Besiktas coach will have a couple of his tricks against Bursaspor as well.

A win, will fly Besiktas, to first place but, a draw won't!...


Also on Sundays, there are many games that will effect the bottom of the barrel.

The teams are feeling the heat will play against the team who are in relegation zone.

Denizlispor who has 29 points will be against the team who has 23 points Kocaelispor.

Eskisehirspor will play against Ankaragucu ......

Ankaragucu has 27 points and Eskisehirspor has 33.

The team with 32 points Antalyaspor will be at home against the team is chasing Bursaspor, Kayserispor.

Istanbul B.B who is also feeling the heat with 30 points will face Galatasaray.

This is a must match for both team.
If Galatasaray wants to remain in the chase , they have to win
On the other hand , it is a must win match for Istanbul B.B, if they don't want to face the relegation.

Lastly, the team who is in the comfort zone, Gaziantepspor, will face the helpless, last place team Hacettepe, who is definite will go down at the end of the season.

AHMET TURGUT

THE "BAD BOYS" IN UGLY ISTANBUL DERBY PUNISHED BY TFF

Lugano's headbutt to Emre Asik (Photo from Maraton football TV program in Turkey)

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce interact in the final minutes of their Turkey Super League derby match that ended in a 0-0 draw at the Ali Sami Yen stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 12, 2009.(AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)


The Verdict is in for the ugly match that happened last weekend.

The Turkish Football Federation's Discipline committee came down hard and handed the suspensions

Here are the suspensions.


Diego Lugano : 5 matches from Fenerbahce
Semih Senturk: 3 matches from Fenerbahce
Volkan Demirel: 3 matches from Fenerbahce

Arda Turan: 3 matches from Galatasaray

Emre Asik: 2 matches from Galatasaray

Sabri Sarioglu: 2 matches from Galatasaray

Galatasaray team president Adnan Polat was also suspended 45 days from Galatasaray matches and Galatasaray team will play one match without spectator and Galatasaray one home match will be played in out side of Istanbul.

OBAMA THE SOCCER PLAYER!...

Did you know Obama played soccer when he was kid?...

You might heard that he was Basketball fan but, United States President has a big passion for Soccer, known in the world, as football...


In the recent New York Times soccer columnist George Vecsey article, Obama talked about his child days when he played soccer on dirt street in Jakarta.

OBAMA ENDORSING WORLD CUP GAMES......

Any way, Obama is now endorsing the United states to get 2018 or 2022 World Cup games.

“Soccer is truly the world’s sport, and the World Cup promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the globe,” Obama added in the letter, a part of which was released to The New York Times by the United States Soccer Federation with permission from the White House.

“That is why this bid is about much more than a game,” he added. “It is about the United States of America inviting the world to gather all across our great country in celebration of our common hopes and dreams.”


The president is hoping to influence FIFA when the decision for 2018 and 2022 is made in December 2010, five months after the next World Cup in South Africa. FIFA has also committed to Brazil in 2014, meaning that two consecutive World Cups could be held without vast modern infrastructure. Theoretically, this would make FIFA more interested in creature comforts and money in 2018 and 2022.

“The support of the president, who is extraordinarily popular around the world, is a huge plus,” Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States federation, said on Monday.

FIFA knows the United States ran a terrific party in 1994, setting an overall attendance record that has endured. Now the highly popular American president has proposed throwing another party. A claret-and-blue scarf would look great on him.


Source: New York Times

TURKIYE'DE DERBILERIN VE TURK FUTBOLUNUN BITTIGI AN!.......

Eger Milli takimda oyniyan bu futbolcular birbirlerini girtlakliyorsa vede birbirlerine yumruk atabiliyorlarsa, kufur ediyorlarsa, artik Turk futbolunun ve Turk futbolcusunun nerelere geldiginin bu guzel bir ornegidir. Yani, butun bunlar olduktan sonra cikacaklar ozur dileyecekler ve pismanlik duygularini dile getirecekler! ...

Gecin ,arkadaslar, gecin.....

Erdinc Sivritepe, ilk once olmak uzere , yillaradan beri, su internet uzerinden Turk Futbolunu, yabancilarin tanimasi ve haber almasi icin ugras veriyoruz ,ama hepsi bosmus!.

Bakin , hemen mac sonrasi facebook'da su yaziyi turkce yazdim,sizlerle paylasmak istedim.

TURKIYE'DE DERBILERIN VE TURK FUTBOLUNUN BITTIGI AN!.......

Ilk once Turk futboluna asik olan ve her hafta cekinmeden butun dunyada turk futbolunu takip eden Turk futbolseverlere ve Turk futbolunu takip edenler icin devamli Ingilizce olarak ve futbolumuzun tanitilmasi amaciyla butun dunyanin cesitkii yerlerinden okunan ve ziyaret edilen sitemi simdiye kadar 18 seneden beri zevk ile yapmisimdir. Turk Futbol Federasyonun Ingilizce sitesi olmadigi zamanlarda ben internet uzerinden Tuk futbolunu , sevdirmek icin ugras verdim.

Ama, bu aksamki derbiden sonra benim hislerimi cok buyuk bir karabulutlar kapladi...

Sozlerime, Ulu Onder Ataturk'un soyledigi sozler ile devam etmek istiyorum... .

'BEN SPORCUNUN AKILLI VE ZEKI OLANINI SEVERIM"

Maalesef bu sozlerin altindan bimlerce sporcu gecmis ama gene Turk sporcusu ayni....

Tamam Olay Lugano ile baslamistir. ... Lugano baslatmistir. ....

Buna itirazim yok.....

Ama , O Sabri ne haldeydi.. o son dakika olaylari baslamadan once?....

Sabri baslatti Emre devam ettirdi... ve is Sabri'nin Emre'yi girtlaklamasina kadar gitti.. ..

Ama macin hakemi Firat Aydinus, hic bir sey yapmiyordu!.. ..

Taa ki...o son dakika olayina kadar..

Ortalik karisti...Lugana Emre Asik'a kafa atti ve Emre yere cakildi...

Sonra, Arda Turan, Emre Belezoglu, Semih Senturk, Sabri birbirlerine girdiler...

Ortalik Ana Baba gunune dondu!.....

Ve bu oyuncular milli takimda yanyana oynuyorlar.. .

ve derbi macinda, birbirlerine kufur ediyorlar...

Yazik ve cok yazik.....

Bu dakikadan sonra Turk futbolunu ne yazmak nede takip etmek istiyorum... .

Yaziklar olsun......

Ahmet Turgut

AP:Brawl breaks out in Turkish league game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce

Brawl breaks out in Turkish league game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Players from Istanbul's two biggest teams, Galatasary and Fenerbahce, fought each other Sunday in the final minutes of a tense derby match that ended in a 0-0 draw.

Games between archrivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are usually tense, but on Sunday both sides needed to win in order to remain in the race for Turkey's Superleague title.

With just minutes left in the game, Fenerbahce's Diego Lugano headbutted Galatasaray's Emre Asik from behind, touching off a fracas that involved most players on the field.

Four players -two from each team - were red-carded for their involvement in the fighting.

The two sides' fans were also in combative mood, dismantling seats and trying to hurl them at each other.

Kaos In Derby Match In Turkey!

Let me just say this—I am very disappointed with what I witnessed today.

Here on this Blog and my web site and my regular column on Bleacher Report, I always enjoyed writing about Turkish Football .

Until tonight.

What I saw was an unsportsmanlike act by both team players in this match.

There was no goal and no football on the field during the full ninety minutes.

But, at the injury time there was a head butt by Fenerbahce player Diego Lugano to Galatasaray player Emre Asik that started a brawl.

Everyone got involved!

Arda Turan got in a fight with his national teammate Semih Senturk and they punched each other.

After the brawl, the referee showed four red cards.

Lugano and Semih from Fenerbahce and Arda and Emre Asik from Galatasaray.

With this score, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are pretty much out of the top race in the Turkcell Super League in Turkey.

Both sides needed to win in order to remain in the race for Turkey's Super league title.

Lastly, the players who are very young and candidates to be stars shocked me today.

The way they behaved on the field and after the match with their comments was stunning.

After tonight's match, every one in Turkish Football has to look in the mirror one more time.

This should start with the Turkish Football Federation and Turkish National team coach and should go down to team officials.

Again, There should be really harsh punishments for this kind of behavior on the field.

If Turkish Football Federation is not quick to announce the punishments, it will be a disaster for the league and Turkish Football.

AHMET TURGUT

Sivasspor Takes the Top Spot Back From Besiktas

Sivasspor retake the Turkcell Super League top spot after small margin win against Antalyaspor.

The match was pretty even until when Antalyaspor striker Ali Zitouni got his second yellow card and was rejected out of the match in the 82th minute with a red card.

In the 86th minute in side the of the box, Sivasspor's Sezer Bodur received the ball and took a hard shot to score Sivasspor's and matches only goal .

Since 15th week, Sivasspor has been on top of the Turkish Turkcell Super League.

Sivasspor has 55 points and second place Besiktas has 54 points...

So, the race goes on....

Ahmet Turgut

Besiktas Takes the Top Spot in Turkey

Besiktas did it, with a hard way after disaster first half they came back in the second half to beat Kocelispor in Kocaeli with the last-gasp goals. Kocaelispor scored the first goal of the match in the second minute of the match by Agbetu and the first half ended with same score after Kocaelispor shutting down Besiktas team.

But, after Besiktas was awarded a penalty kick , everything turn Besiktas's way , after the 75nth minute.
Zapotochny scored on penalty kick to tie the score first, than Bobo in the 85nth minute and Yusuf Simsek closed the curtain in the 89nth minute . It was a hard fought match for Besiktas.
Kocaelispor players lost the momentum after the penalty kick goal on the field.

So, call it luck or a brake , Besiktas is on top of the league until Saturday night...

If Sivasspor lose point or points on Saturday , Besiktas could close the weekend on top of the Turkcell Super league all by them selfs.

Like I said before, the 27th week in the League is the turning point...
Besiktas, came out clean, after coming behind to beat the team who is looking for live wire to hold on in the league....

Sivasspor will have to do that if they don't want to lose the top spot to Besiktas!

AHMET TURGUT

Turkish Super League Preview..Week 27

BESIKTAS HAS A CHANCE TO CAPTURE THE TOP SPOT ON FRIDAY...

As we get closer to the end of the season in the Turkish Turkcell Super League, the excitement on top and agony of defeat feeling at the bottom, is in full force...


After all disappointment scores by big guns of Istanbul , Sivasspor just could not open the gap, wide open , instead, they are only one point in front of second place Besiktas and five points away from three teams.

Those teams are,Fenerbahce , Galatasaray and Trabzonspor , they all have 47 points.

Sivasspor has 52 and Besiktas is with 51 points....

So, I think the 27th week, will be the turning point, for the teams who is in the top race, in my opinion.

Sivaspor just can't afford to lose a point or points at home this week.

They are playing against the team who was won their last three matches and most improved team of the year Antalyaspor.

Ever since rookie coach Mehmet Ozdilek, took over the coaching job , Antalyaspor has moved up from bottom to mid level in the league.


Besiktas who plays on Friday could capture the first place, if they beat Kocaelispor in Kocaeli. But, lets not forget Kocaelispor has been the giant killer, this year in the league...

They demolish Galatasaray in Istanbul in front of their own stadium . Kocaelispor is in fire zone of the league.

That's why, it will not be easy match for Besiktas, in my opinion.

Sivaspor and Trabzonspor will play on Saturday.....

MATCH OF THE WEEK, COULD BE THE MATCH OF THE YEAR!..............

The match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce on Sunday, could be the match of the year in my opinion.

The loser might as well just say good bye to the top spot!.....

A draw won't help either team... but, it will help Sivasspor and Besiktas!..

So, Playing in front of full house in Ali Samiyen Stadium, it will be a huge match.

Looking at both teams, they both are hurting, as far injuries..

Galatasaray has no defense and can't less for ninety minutes on the field..

On the other hand, Fenerbahce,is hot and cold!....

Consestancy, is not with Fenerbahce this year...

The midfielder Alex De Souza most likely will not play in this match..

If Bulent Korkmaz wakes up and gives Lincoln a chance to play , Galatasaray midfield will be Strong with Milan Baros on top.

But, let's not forget Semih Senturk and Guiza for Fenerbahce, if they play together, they could spell danger for Galatasaray .

So, "old fox" Aragones against "untrusted and unstable" Bulent Korkmaz...

It is the most important match for both teams.....

If Galatasaray wants to still challenge Sivasspor and Besiktas , they have to win this match.

Because, they still have to face Sivaspor and Besiktas,yet!....

Fenerbahce has to play only against Besiktas...

Let me just remind everybody, that ,Galatasary will be traveling to Sivas to play Sivaspor, in the last week of the Tukcell Super League.....

What a match that would be !...

Again, there is a lot of football to be played yet in the league..
As they say in Turkish, we will see a lot of water running under the bridge yet....

But,the top teams and the teams who are fighting for their life in the league, just can't afford to lose points anymore...


Friday 10 April
Kocaelispor 19 : 00 Besiktas

Saturday 11 April
Bursaspor 12 : 30 MKE Ankaragücü
Istanbul BB 12 : 30 Gaziantepspor
Sivasspor 14 : 15 Antalyaspor
Hacettepe SK 18 : 00 Trabzonspor

Sunday 12 April
Eskisehirspor 12 : 30 BB Ankaraspor
Genclerbirligi SK 12 : 30 Konyaspor
Kayserispor 12 : 30 Denizlispor
Galatasaray SK 18 : 00 Fenerbahce

AHMET TURGUT

Turkish National Team Drops In FIFA April Rankings

Fatih Terim's Turkish National team dropped in the FIFA's rankingas again...

After losing the 10th spot to Portugal National team in March rankings , Turkish National team went down to 14th place in the FIFA's April rankings.

While Spain stayed on top of the list and U.S National team moved closer to Turkish National Team to 15th place.

The Spanish team has a 31-match unbeaten string and picked up 63 ratings points in the last month with a pair of victories over Turkey in World Cup qualifying. Spain has 1,729 points. Germany, which lost 4 points last month, has 1,362.

The 367-point differential is the largest between the top two teams since FIFA began its rankings in 1993.

Also of concern to the Germans' was the 43-point gain by No. 3 Netherlands, which is 2 points out of second place with 1,360 points.

Brazil improved its latest ranking one place to fourth, dropping Italy to fifth.

Argentina remained sixth but England, which collected a Top 10-best 90 points in the last month, was up two spots to seventh, bumping Croatia and Russia each down one spot to eighth and ninth, respectively. France, which collected 70 points last month, went from 12th to 10th.

The FIFA world rankings are determined by points received from match results over a three-year period, with more recent matches given greater weight. Teams also get more points for playing relatively strong opponents.

Fifa World Rankings: Top 10

1 Spain

2 Germany

3 Holland

4 Brazil

5 Italy

6 Argentina

7 England

8 Croatia

9 Russia

10 France

EGO MAN, FATIH TERIM: "I do not deserve to lose the six points against Spain,"

TERIM, BLAMES LOSING IN THE LAST MINUTE TO HIS KEEPER VOLKAN DEMIREL....

Fatih Terim was angry at the press room and it was because he believes his players can not be as innocent in the final minutes of the match. "We found the goal and we were unable to take advantage of it. We did not expect the mistake of the goalkeeper and the penalty unless he meant the tie. At that time was more closely matched the second. In addition, we fail to receive the time and added a goal that we can never receive. do not deserve to lose the six points against Spain. "

Terim told his players they must have respect to Spain, but they confused the message. "Be patient does not have panicked. Spain has given many chances to score and we failed to seize them. Fails to mark the second because everything has changed. We failed to close the game. We played with some fear."

Fatih Terim, said Wednesday that his team "found the goal" but did not "use" after losing 2-1 to Spain in qualifying match for the World South Africa-2010.

"Spain has many chances to score and we failed to seize them. Fails to mark the second because everything would have changed. We failed to close the game. We played with some fear," said Turkish coach, whose team was ahead on the scoreboard before for Spain tie.

"We did not expect the mistake of the goalkeeper and the penalty unless he meant the tie. At that time was more closely matched the second," the Turkish coach.

"I do not deserve to lose the six points against Spain," he concluded after two consecutive defeats to the Red this Wednesday and last Saturday in Madrid (1-0).

The Spanish Villarreal's Turkish striker, Nihat Khaveci said, for its part, the objective now is to save the classification, after falling to third place of Group 5 with eight points on four of the second Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ten of the leading Spanish .

"We still have four games to go. Now, our goal is to win all four and it is not certain that we save, because we now need to lose points Bosnia," said Nihat.

TURKEY LOSE AT HOME TO SPAIN IN THE STOPPAGE-TIME

Albert Riera struck a stoppage-time winner as European champions Spain bounced back from a half-time deficit to defeat Turkey in Istanbul and further strengthen their stranglehold on Group Five.

Spain, who had beaten Turkey 1-0 in Madrid on Saturday, had to do it the hard way after falling behind to Semih Senturk's 26th-minute tap-in but second-half goals from Liverpool duo Xabi Alonso and Riera earned Vicente del Bosque's side the spoils.

The victory means Spain, who have a 100% record after six matches in qualifying, are now a massive 10 points above Turkey - who many felt would be their biggest challenger in the pool - and six clear of second-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina, who were 2-1 winners over Belgium tonight.

Aside from that, the win also extended Spain's current unbeaten run to 31 matches - equalling the national record set under Javier Clemente in the 1990s.

Turkey enjoyed the better start at the Bernabeu on Saturday but this time it was Spain who threatened first through Riera's dipping 25-yard thunderbolt in the 13th minute.

It looked destined for the back of the net but Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel produced a brilliant save to keep it out, sticking out his right hand and somehow managing to divert the ball over the crossbar.

Demirel was then called into action again seven minutes later, although this time he had a much easier job of saving Fernando Torres' low shot.

Six minutes after that, though, Spain found themselves a goal down.

Tuncay Sanli got in behind the visitors' defence to collect a dinked Arda Turan pass, and although the Turkey number 10 was unable to get a shot in himself, he poked the ball away from Iker Casillas and gave team-mate Senturk an open goal in which to slot home.

That was the only the second goal Spain had conceded since the group stages of Euro 2008 last summer, and on the previous occasion they managed to fight back from an early deficit against Belgium in October to record a 2-1 win.

A similar feat looked unlikely tonight though as hosts Turkey created two decent openings to increase their advantage either side of half-time.

Both were created by good work by Senturk and both were wasted by Nihat Kahveci, who opted to go for power over precision on each occasion and succeeded only in smashing his shots well off-target.

Turkey were made to play for the Villarreal hitman's profligacy as Spain drew level on the hour mark through Alonso's penalty.

Demirel made a hash of dealing with Xavi's corner and Torres, standing at the far post, sent a header goalward that was blocked at point-blank range by Ibrahim Uzulmez's arm.

The referee immediately pointed to the spot and Alonso coolly sent Demirel the wrong way to level the scores up.

With their tails up, Spain continued to press forward in search of second goal and Torres almost broke clean through only to lose the ball due to a heavy touch.

The Liverpool man had looked out of sorts up front on his own but he almost put the Spanish ahead in the 73rd minute when he latched onto a Santi Cazorla pass before sending a rising shot towards the top corner, only to see Demirel tip the ball over.

Turkey were not without an attacking threat of their own though, and Tuncay brought a good save out of Casillas diving away to his right with 10 minutes remaining.

Then came the knockout punch from the visitors as Riera slotted home his side's winner a minute into stoppage time.

Substitute Dani Guiza, who plies his trade for Fenerbahce in Turkey, collected a long punt forward and eased past his marker before feeding a low ball across the face of goal where Riera, in acres of space, had the fairly simple task of side-footing past Volkan Demirel.

Standings
MP W D L Pts
Spain 5 5 0 0 15
Bosnia 5 3 0 2 9
Turkey 5 2 2 1 8
Belgium 5 2 1 2 7
Estonia 6 1 2 3 5
Armenia 6 0 1 5 1

REMAINING MATCHES....

05/09/09 TBA Armenia - Bosnia-Herzegovina
05/09/09 TBA Spain - Belgium
05/09/09 TBA Turkey - Estonia
09/09/09 TBA Spain - Estonia
09/09/09 TBA Armenia - Belgium
09/09/09 TBA Bosnia-Herzegovina - Turkey
10/10/09 TBA Estonia - Bosnia-Herzegovina
10/10/09 TBA Belgium - Turkey
10/10/09 TBA Armenia - Spain
14/10/09 TBA Estonia - Belgium
14/10/09 TBA Turkey - Armenia
14/10/09 TBA Bosnia-Herzegovina - Spain


Source: wires

Turkey v Spain Live Streaming.....