Marseille v Besiktas: Preview

Marseille coach Albert Emon knows his job is on the line as he prepares his troops for Tuesday's opening Champions League Group A encounter with Besiktas.

OM have made a sluggish start to the new Ligue 1 campaign, with just one win in eight outings leaving them hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone having been touted as title candidates in pre-season.

A win against Besiktas would go a long way towards easing the early-season jitters at the Cote d'Azur club, and give Emon some breathing space after club president Pape Diouf hinted that he may ring the changes unless there is an upturn in form.

Diouf told www.om.net: 'Should the moment come that I feel the only way out is to effect changes among the staff, I will do so without seeking anyone's permission.'

However, the OM supremo added: 'Albert Emon will be at the helm against Besiktas.'

A home defeat to Toulouse at the weekend has dampened spirits yet further in the Marseille camp, but Emon is adamant he is going nowhere.

'I'm not throwing in the towel,' he said. 'I'm moving forward. I'm not sure where to, but I'm going to keep moving forward.'

Victory against last season's Turkish Super Lig runners-up would be a huge fillip for the embattled coach, who is determined to enjoy the challenge of Champions League football.

'The Champions League is a party,' Emon told www.om.net. 'The club wanted so much to get there and now here it is. We're preparing well, we fought for 12 hard months last year to get here.

'This Besiktas game could be the moment when we lift our heads again. We'll see how the competition gets under way. It could be a good back door for us in terms of the problems we've been experiencing.

'We need to free ourselves up, so we're throwing ourselves into this competition that can do us a lot of good.'

However, the former France international believes that Besiktas will be no pushovers, and has called on his team to perform to their best.

'They are a good side with some Brazilians and some very technically talented players,' Emon continued.

'They play hard and never give up. They'll come here looking to really play. We need to be completely focused and really rise to the challenge.'

The OM coach will be boosted by the return to the line up of captain Lorik Cana, who missed the weekend defeat to Toulouse through suspension.

Besiktas coach Ertugrul Saglam has named a 21-man travelling party for the first leg at the Stade Velodrome, which includes experienced goalkeeper Rustu Recber, a summer signing from city rivals Fenerbahce.

The Istanbul outfit, who are competing in the Champions League for the first time in four seasons, will be without the suspended Ali Tandogan and the injured Gokhan Zan.
Source:PA

UEFA Executive Committee meeting in İstanbul

UEFA Executive Committe is going to gather in İstanbul on 26 and 27 September. Turkish Football Federation will host the 2 day event that take place in Çırağan Palace. UEFA President Michel Platini, Vicepresidents Şenes Erzik, Geoffrey Thompson, Angel Maria Villar Llona, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder and Marios N Lefkaritis, committee members Dr. Franco Carraro, Dr. Viacheslav Koloskov, Dr. Gilberto Madail, Dr. Joseph Mifsud, Per Ravn Omdal, Mircea Sandu, Drs. Mathieu Sprengers and Gregory Surkis will participate the meeting. UEFA Honorary President Lennart Johansson and UEFA General Secretary David Taylor will also be present.

The meeting will start on 26 September at 14.00. On 27 September by noon the meeting will end and there will be a press conference at 12.15. At 14.00 o'clock UEFA and Turkish Football Federation will sign for Turkey's Grassroots Charter membership.
Source:Tff

Emre apologizes for press box hand gesture but, apology did not excepted by Turkish media!

Newcastle United midfielder Emre has issued a public apology after a launching a furious tirade at the Turkish media. The 27-year-old made hand gestures and shouted towards the press box after his country's first goal in their 3-0 Euro 2008 qualifier victory over Hungary in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. Reports from Turkey suggest he had been angered by criticism of national coach Fatih Terim following the 2-2 draw with Malta, as well as stories linking him with a move back to Galatasaray.

Emre said: 'This action was not for everybody, but only one person in the Press - he knows it.'

The former Inter Milan star returned to Tyneside with a knee injury which is likely to keep him out of Monday night's Premier League trip to Derby.

"BAD BOY" EMRE BELEZOGLU STILL BAD BOY!...

PHOTO:Aksam Turkish daily news paper
THIS TIME TURKISH MEDIA!...THIS ONE IS FOR SOMEONE FROM PRESS BOX IN THE TURKEY V HUNGARY MATCH

YOU DECIDE !...IS THIS A BAD CALL BY REFEREE STUART DUAGAL...

When the bias ATV TV channel broadcast the match in Turkey, they did not show the reverse angle, like here in this footage!.... Ladies Gentleman, It is absurd....clearly, referee Stuart Duagal, was out of posision and a player was blocking his view..at the very end of the play, he saw, Zoltan Gera, falling down...that was no fake fall!....actually our keeper Hakan Arikan got a piece of him...watch it Turkiye!...
You were zap by ATV!....Nice going ATV for absurd job!....You fooled all the turkish soccer fans!,

AHMET TURGUT
WWW.TURKISHSOCCER.COM

A GIFT FROM REFEREE GIVES TURKEY 3 POINTS!...

If you watched the whole match, you would agree with me,on my heading!....
We all saw how the National team played 67 minutes!....on the side line Fatih Terim and his gang was sweating like hell!..... In the 63th minute , referee of the match , Stuart Duagal , made a bad call in my opinion and send off Gera, with second yellow card for faken falling down.

This was a good call for Turkey ..... but it was unfair and bad call in general!.....
We have to be realistic!.....if Hungary team didn't go down with a man down, the score would not be three zip!...... But, win is a win, this is not mean , Tukish National team, still back on winning record!
Referees: Stuart Dougal, Alan Cunningham, Stuart Macaulay (Scotland)
Turkey: Hakan Arikan, Hamit, Emre Asik, Servet, Ibrahim Uzulmez, Gokdeniz, Aurelio, Ayhan, Tuncay, Gokhan, Nihat

Hungary: Fulop, Szelesi, Csizmadia, Vasko, Juhasz, Vanczak, Gera, Vass, Dzsudsak, Hajnal, Priskin

Scorers: Turkey - Gokhan Unal 69 min., Mehmet Aurelio 73 min., Halil Altintop 90 min.
Red Card: Hungary - Zoltan Gera 63 min.

WATCH TURKEY(TURKIYE) V HUNGARY MATCH HIUGLIGHTS

A GIFT FROM REFEREE!............

TURKIYE 3 HUNGARY 0