CNN.com:Fenerbahce determined to reach the top

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Turks Fenerbahce hope to step up their claim to become a world force in football when they travel to Spain with a 3-2 lead for the second leg of their Champions League tie against Sevilla.


Brazilian coach Zico is convinced that Fenerbahce can become a great European club.

The 17-time Turkish champions have big ambitions.

"Our objective is to join the best clubs in the world - AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea. It's not easy to get to that level but we have the ability," said team manager Volkan Balli.

Turkey has a modest record in European football, with Galatasaray's 1999-2000 UEFA Cup triumph a rare success..

Money is not a problem for Fenerbahce, who are financed by their president Aziz Yildirim, and they play at a 52,500-capacity ground on the Asian banks of the city - the Sukru Saracoglu stadium.

The club's organization and support is so widespread that it is nicknamed "Republic of Fenerbahce".

"Its true, the club is a republic. It's incredible. Everyone helps each other out. The fans love Fenerbahce, they buy Fenerbahce, they help the club." added Balli.

The club also supports basketball and volleyball teams who play at the highest international level.

The organization is also listed with a budget this season of around $200 million.

They have had no difficulty in attracting big name players like Argentine midfielder Ariel Ortega (2002-2003), Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk (2003-2005) and French attacker Nicolas Anelka (2004-2006).

But their speciality is bringing Brazilians to the club.

World Cup winner Roberto Carlos, arrived in 2007 from Real Madrid, while they also have Ed Dracena in defense, Mehmet Aurelio, Alex de Souza and Gokcek Vederson in midfield and Deivid de Souza up front.

Their coach is Zico, a legendary Brazilian international,

"These players are here because they are good players and they are good players because they are Brazilian," said Zico.

"Fenerbahce are going to be a great European team because they have a dream.

"Look at the structures, they are amongst the best in Europe and all the signings have been made with the goal of becoming a great team."

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/03/03/spain.sevilla/

BESIKTAS ON TOP OF THE TURKISH TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE

Galatasaray's Servet Cetin (L) fights for the ball with Filip Holosko of Besiktas during their Turkish Super League derby soccer match at the Inonu Stadium in Istanbul March 2, 2008.
REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Believe it or not!.......After Fenerbahce struggling thsi week and Galatasaray losing to Besiktas Today , Besiktas is the top team with 52 points
The Sevilla win at home cost big time, for Fenerbahce in the league and in the Fortis Cup..
At the ende of week 24, there is three team has 51 poinst....Galatasaray,Fenerbahce and Sivasspor...
So, the Turkcell Super League is heated from head to toe...last ten weeks will be though!..

VOLKAN - LINCOLN FIGHT IN FORTIS CUP MATCH

Photo:www.Ligtv.com.tr

Two biggest teams in Turkey..... Galatasaray and Fenerbahce..

They met again in the Fortis cup quarter final match.....


There were a lot of unnecessary cards were giving by Match referee Cuneyt Cakir...

Four red cards and 14 yellow cards....

Diego Lugano, Gokhan Gonul,Volkan Demirel from Fenerbahce and Cassio Lincoln of Galatasaray were all sent off.......

Fenerbahce was the better team on the pitch !.....

But, in the injury time, Galatasaray scored a last minute goal by Umit Karan..

After the goal.......,That's when ugly scene,Volkan- Lincoln fight started!....

It was ugly.... this is how started...

After the goal, Volkan picks the ball from inside the goal.... Lincoln, at the same time tells Volkan to give him the ball.....that is when the conversation starts between Volkan and Lincoln..... According to Volkan, Lincoln swears at Volkan...
"F... you mom, f... your wife " than Volkan runs after Lincoln and knees him around the crotch area......and Lincoln drops on the pitch..... than both of them got a red card for fighting.....
Watch the whole seen at the bottom link.......
http://www.ligtv.com.tr/Default.aspx?r=1&hid=34549

GALATASARAY ELIMINATES FENERBAHCE IN FORTIS CUP

Galatasaray beat Fenerbahce 2-1 in an Istanbul derby Wednesday night and eliminated its arch rival in the Turkish Federeation Cup.

The referee sent off three Fenerbahce players as the Istanbul team finished the game with only 8 players.

Galatasaray's winner came at injury time by Umit Karan.

The two teams had played to a goalless draw in the first leg game

FC Seoul Coach Senol Gunes ready for Beckham clash

FC Seoul's boss Senol Gunes is looking forward to finalizing pre-season preparations with a friendly against LA Galaxy and David Beckham this weekend.

The K-League team provide the first opposition for the MLS club on their East Asian tour.

"This is our last game before the season starts," Gunes told reporters. "We will do our very best."

Seoul kick-off their season on March 9 with a tough game at home to Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i.

"We have held pre-season training camps in Japan and Turkey," the former Turkish national team coach added.

"The 2008 season starts now. The players got a chance in 2007 to get some playing time under their belts."

Gunes took charge of the capital outfit in January 2007 and enjoyed a mixed season, taking Seoul into seventh.

He expects a higher placing this season.

"Our target is to win the league. The club has high expectations and it wont be easy but we are ready."

FORTIS CUP TIME...WILL IT BE GALATASARAY OR FENERBAHCE?.....

Galatasaray will host the game against Fenerbahçe which is the second game of quarter finals in Turkish Cup at Ali Sami Yen stadium.The game will start at 20.00. local time(1:00 ET ).The winner of the game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce will be defined tonight.The previous game between the two teams had ended with a score of 0-0.
The revenge game will be at Ali Sami Yen stadium. The game will be broadcast live on Lig TV.The winner team will qualify for the semi-finals as the first game ended with a tie.
Also, Besiktas hosts Caykur Rizespor, Kayserispor will be home against Genclerbirligi OFTAS Spor .
On Tuesday, Genlerbirligi was the first team to qualified to play in Semi-Finals.
Genclerbirligi 2-2 AdanaDemirspor.

ESPN:Fenerbahce plan glorious decade

Dominic Raynor,ESPN

'We will be like Chelsea, AC Milan or Real Madrid within 10 years. This is inevitable.'


Those are the words of Fenerbahçe's ambitious president Aziz Yilidrim, who got slightly over excited after presiding over the Turkish champions' first foray into the knockout stages of the Champions League after five attempts.

Possibly delirious after breaking the Turkish record for points accrued in the group phase of Europe's premier competition, beating arch-rivals Galatasaray's total of ten points by a single digit, Yilidrim was happy to tell anybody who would listen that Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü have arrived.

'The next 10 years will be for Fenerbahçe, everyone should accept that,' he said. 'We have not yet reached our full potential, but Fenerbahçe has taken the first step on the way to further growth.'

Yilidrim's bullish statement preceded the Yellow Canaries' 3-2 home win against FC Sevilla in the first leg of their last 16 clash and we can only imagine how he will ratchet up the rhetoric if they manage to maintain their advantage and squeeze into the quarter-finals.

And while Yilidrim's claims that the club can be elevated to the level of the former G14 cartel within a decade might be a bit fanciful there is no doubt that dramatic change has taken place at Fenerbahçe since he succeeded ex-chairman Ali Sen in 1998.

The former construction tycoon has increased the capacity of the Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium to 52,500, sold 16% of the club's shares and trademarked Fenerbahçe. But despite increasing his organisation's revenue he is a long way off matching his idolised trio in the top five of football's rich list.

Fenerbahçe are also a long way from being a credible alternative to Europe's established clubs for the world's best players but the Turkish club have certainly attracted some top talent to boost their profile around the globe; including Chelsea's newest recruit, £15million striker Nicolas Anelka.

The French international, who has cost more in cumulative transfer fees than any player in history at £84.8 million, joined the club for £7million in 2005 as part of Fenerbahçe's budget version of the galatico era that also saw Argentina international Ariel Ortega, Ukrainian striker Serhiy Rebrov and Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk pass through the club.

In Zico the club now has a coach with enough gravitas to attract further household names and in the summer the former Brazil international was instrumental in attracting compatriot and World Cup winner Roberto Carlos to the club.

The former Real Madrid left-back joined Alex de Souza, another Brazilian, who has won 48 caps for his country, Dutch Eredivisie golden boot winner Mateja Kezman and highly-rated Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah in the clubs increasing pool of recognizable talent.

If Fenerbahçe can squeeze past Sevilla into the quarter-finals of the Champions League the club may well embark on a glorious decade as Yilidrim predicts but the Yellow Canaries will never fly as high as Europe's established clubs because history is against them.

It is the same reason that Chelsea, despite their riches and success, will never be in the same bracket as Juventus, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and their peers; clubs simply can't buy a glorious European past, even in these days of billionaire oligarchs.

History puts two of Yildirim's triple targets in AC Milan and Real Madrid out of reach but if he can mastermind Fenerbahçe's continued rise for the next ten years the Turkish club can aspire to become one of Europe's new powers - not unlike his third target Chelsea.

If you have any thoughts you can email Dominic Raynor.
dom.raynor@soccernet.com