Fenerbahce's Brazilian flair is bringing it unprecedented European success this season.
Now Fenerbahce coach Zico and his players are on the cusp of what fans could only dream about a few years ago — reaching the Champions League semifinals.
Fenerbahce beat Chelsea 2-1 at home in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday, and could pull off a huge upset by knocking the Premier League team out in the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week.
With Zico and six of his players hail from Brazil, many are crediting the South American influence for the team's results. The 55-year-old coach, however, sees other reasons behind the success.
"When you look at the number of quality players we have, we are a bit behind Europe's other top teams," Zico said in an interview with the Associated Press. "But in terms of having a team spirit, I don't think we lack anything."
This year was the first time the Istanbul club even made it out of the Champions League group stage. It then upset Sevilla in the first knockout round, surprising many European experts and even some of its own fans.
"No achievement comes without hard work," Zico said. "We came here working hard. But, also, faith is a most important factor. I am trying to make my players believe that they can succeed."
The club was eliminated by AZ Alkmaar in the Uefa Cup's round of 32 last year, but was boosted this season by the arrival of Roberto Carlos from Real Madrid.
The former Brazil left back, who retired from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup, joined Fenerbahce last June. The side now has six Brazilians among its regular starters, along with a Chilean and a Uruguayan.
"These players played important games in the past," Zico said. "When you have them in your team, they give it a character."
Zico joined the club in 2006 after having coached Japan for four years. Although his contract ends this season, Zico said he has a long-term plan to make Fenerbahce one of Europe's top clubs, and a regular in the Champions League knockout stages.
His first obstacle is Chelsea on Tuesday.
"Our rivals there will benefit their fans' support and try to beat us," he said. "But we will keep our fighting soul and be closer to winning."
Source: This blog and AP
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Feldkamp resigns from Galatasaray
HAKAN SUKUR'S, POWER IN THE TEAM, MADE FELDKAMP RESIGN........
Galatasaray coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp resigned Saturday after struggling with health problems and a disappointing season.
Feldkamp, 74, joined Galatasaray last year amid questions about whether he was fit to do the job. He had not led a team for eight years because of health problems.
Feldkamp assured fans he had fully recovered, but Galatasaray dropped points in the Turkish Super Lig as Feldkamp was forced to make frequent trips to his native Germany for medical treatment.
Galatasaray lost 5-1 to Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup in February, prompting fierce criticism of the team's management.
Feldkamp first coached Galatasaray in 1992-93, when it won both the league and Turkish Cup titles.
The club, which won the UEFA Cup in 2000, has been far from any international success in recent years. Feldkamp was Galatasaray's fifth coach since 2000.
SOURCE:WIRES
Galatasaray coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp resigned Saturday after struggling with health problems and a disappointing season.
Feldkamp, 74, joined Galatasaray last year amid questions about whether he was fit to do the job. He had not led a team for eight years because of health problems.
Feldkamp assured fans he had fully recovered, but Galatasaray dropped points in the Turkish Super Lig as Feldkamp was forced to make frequent trips to his native Germany for medical treatment.
Galatasaray lost 5-1 to Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup in February, prompting fierce criticism of the team's management.
Feldkamp first coached Galatasaray in 1992-93, when it won both the league and Turkish Cup titles.
The club, which won the UEFA Cup in 2000, has been far from any international success in recent years. Feldkamp was Galatasaray's fifth coach since 2000.
SOURCE:WIRES
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
ZICO IS GENIUS!.....
Goalscorer Colin Kazim-Richards celebrates with Mehmet Aurelio.
A lot of, so called Turkish soccer writers in Turkey, didn't think much about Zico, as a coach!...but, he proved them wrong again!... In my Opinion, He was the master of this win... He was the one, who put Colin Kazim on the pitch and it worked.
Colin Kazim-Richards, known in Turkey as Kazim Kazim, came on in the 54th minute and, within 11 minutes, He scored the first goal for Fenerbahce and gave hope to his team. .
Deivid de Souza and Kazim Kazim scored second-half goals Wednesday to give Fenerbahce a 2-1 win over Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Deivid scored an own-goal in the 13th minute as a cross from Florent Malouda deflected off him and went in. But Kazim equalized in the 65th and Deivid scored with a powerful shot from way beyond the area in the 81st.
Malouda sent in a cross from the left flank, but the ball deflected off Deivid and went in, putting the visitors ahead.
Fenerbahce then tried to get through Chelsea's back line but forward Mateja Kezman, supported by Brazilians Alex de Souza and Deivid, seemed physically outweighed by John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.
Fenerbahce's first attempt at goal came in the 22nd with a weak shot by Brazilian-born Mehmet Aurelio from outside the area which went wide.
The Blues almost doubled their lead in the first half, first with a header by Frank Lampard which went wide in the 26th and then with a close-range shot by Didier Drogba which was saved by goalkeeper Volkan Demirel in the 29th.
But the hosts came out strong in the second half, producing four crosses into the area and two corner kicks in the first 10 minutes.
A through ball by playmaker Alex found the unmarked Kazim, who beat Chelsea's offside trap and scored in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini in the 65th.
Deivid, Fenerbahce's top scorer in the competition, brought his tally to five when he unleashed a powerful shot from way beyond the area in the 81st.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Fenerbahce v Chelsea...Live GameCast.....
Fenerbahce v Chelsea...Live GameCast.....click here...
Zico: Fenerbahce must beat Chelsea at home
Coach Zico says it is imperative Fenerbahce beat Chelsea in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
'Fenerbahce are facing one of the most important matches in their history,' said the former Brazil captain. 'We definitely have to win the first match at home. If we concentrate properly we can achieve our goal.' Zico will be pinning his hopes on playmaker Alex in his team's debut appearance in the last eight.Alex scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 victory over city rivals Besiktas, a result that gave Fenerbahce renewed confidence in their battle to win the Turkish title. 'I don't want anyone to talk about the Besiktas game any more,' said Zico. 'Another very big test awaits us on Wednesday.'
Since joining the club four years ago, Alex has scored 70 goals in 116 league matches.
He could be joined in Wednesday's team by fellow Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who has been out injured since the first leg of their last-16 tie with Sevilla.
Midfielder Ugur Boral, injured against Besiktas, is likely to be fit while Onder Turaci will probably play at right back in place of the suspended Gokhan Gonul.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant finds himself in a peculiar position despite collecting five wins and a draw from his last six Premier League games.
A fortunate 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday means the Londoners are still the closest challengers to Manchester United in the title race but there are grumblings of discontent among the fans.
The League Cup final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and a humiliating defeat by Championship (second division) side Barnsley in the FA Cup have reduced Grant's chances of winning a trophy in his first season. Midfielder Frank Lampard should return after missing Sunday's victory with a stomach upset. Goalkeeper Petr Cech is doubtful with an ankle injury but Didier Drogba is expected to be fit after picking up a knock at the weekend.
Probable teams:
Fenerbahce: 1-Volkan Demirel; 19-Onder Turaci, 2-Diego Lugano, 36-Edu Dracena, 3-Roberto Carlos; 20-Alex, 15-Mehmet Aurelio, 33-Claudio Maldonado, 25-Ugur Boral; 99-Deivid, 9-Mateja Kezman.
Chelsea: 23-Carlo Cudicini; 20-Paulo Ferreira, 26-John Terry, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 3-Ashley Cole; 8-Frank Lampard, 4-Claude Makelele, 5-Michael Essien; 10-Joe Cole, 11-Didier Drogba, 21-Salomon Kalou.
FENERBAHCE V CHELSEA
Head-to-head record: no previous matches
Previous appearances in last four:
Champions League: Chelsea 3, Fenerbahce 0
European Cup: Chelsea 3, Fenerbahce 0
All European competitions: Chelsea 8, Fenerbahce 0
Leading Champions League 07-08 scorers:
Fenerbahce: Deivid 4
Chelsea: Didier Drogba 4
Fenerbahce reached the quarter-final stage of a European competition just once before - more than forty years ago when they lost in a playoff to MTK Budapest in the 1963-64 Cup Winners' Cup.Fenerbahce are a force to reckon with at home of late, winning their last five European games in Istanbul and remaining unbeaten in 11, in which they have scored 26 times.Fenerbahce have failed to score in seven of 11 previous games against English clubs.Chelsea are unbeaten in all eight Champions League games this season and have not conceded a goal in the last six. They have gone 621 minutes of Champions League football without letting in a goal since David Villa of Valencia netted against them on October 3 last year.Chelsea won 5-0 against Galatasaray in the Champions League on their only previous visit to Istanbul eight seasons ago. They also won their Champions League away leg against Besiktas four years ago by a 2-0 scoreline, but that was played on neutral ground in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.Chelsea have lost just two of their last 12 Champions League away matches.
Zico: Fenerbahce must beat Chelsea at home
Coach Zico says it is imperative Fenerbahce beat Chelsea in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
'Fenerbahce are facing one of the most important matches in their history,' said the former Brazil captain. 'We definitely have to win the first match at home. If we concentrate properly we can achieve our goal.' Zico will be pinning his hopes on playmaker Alex in his team's debut appearance in the last eight.Alex scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 victory over city rivals Besiktas, a result that gave Fenerbahce renewed confidence in their battle to win the Turkish title. 'I don't want anyone to talk about the Besiktas game any more,' said Zico. 'Another very big test awaits us on Wednesday.'
Since joining the club four years ago, Alex has scored 70 goals in 116 league matches.
He could be joined in Wednesday's team by fellow Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who has been out injured since the first leg of their last-16 tie with Sevilla.
Midfielder Ugur Boral, injured against Besiktas, is likely to be fit while Onder Turaci will probably play at right back in place of the suspended Gokhan Gonul.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant finds himself in a peculiar position despite collecting five wins and a draw from his last six Premier League games.
A fortunate 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday means the Londoners are still the closest challengers to Manchester United in the title race but there are grumblings of discontent among the fans.
The League Cup final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and a humiliating defeat by Championship (second division) side Barnsley in the FA Cup have reduced Grant's chances of winning a trophy in his first season. Midfielder Frank Lampard should return after missing Sunday's victory with a stomach upset. Goalkeeper Petr Cech is doubtful with an ankle injury but Didier Drogba is expected to be fit after picking up a knock at the weekend.
Probable teams:
Fenerbahce: 1-Volkan Demirel; 19-Onder Turaci, 2-Diego Lugano, 36-Edu Dracena, 3-Roberto Carlos; 20-Alex, 15-Mehmet Aurelio, 33-Claudio Maldonado, 25-Ugur Boral; 99-Deivid, 9-Mateja Kezman.
Chelsea: 23-Carlo Cudicini; 20-Paulo Ferreira, 26-John Terry, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 3-Ashley Cole; 8-Frank Lampard, 4-Claude Makelele, 5-Michael Essien; 10-Joe Cole, 11-Didier Drogba, 21-Salomon Kalou.
FENERBAHCE V CHELSEA
Head-to-head record: no previous matches
Previous appearances in last four:
Champions League: Chelsea 3, Fenerbahce 0
European Cup: Chelsea 3, Fenerbahce 0
All European competitions: Chelsea 8, Fenerbahce 0
Leading Champions League 07-08 scorers:
Fenerbahce: Deivid 4
Chelsea: Didier Drogba 4
Fenerbahce reached the quarter-final stage of a European competition just once before - more than forty years ago when they lost in a playoff to MTK Budapest in the 1963-64 Cup Winners' Cup.Fenerbahce are a force to reckon with at home of late, winning their last five European games in Istanbul and remaining unbeaten in 11, in which they have scored 26 times.Fenerbahce have failed to score in seven of 11 previous games against English clubs.Chelsea are unbeaten in all eight Champions League games this season and have not conceded a goal in the last six. They have gone 621 minutes of Champions League football without letting in a goal since David Villa of Valencia netted against them on October 3 last year.Chelsea won 5-0 against Galatasaray in the Champions League on their only previous visit to Istanbul eight seasons ago. They also won their Champions League away leg against Besiktas four years ago by a 2-0 scoreline, but that was played on neutral ground in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.Chelsea have lost just two of their last 12 Champions League away matches.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Besiktas's Matias Delgado to Arsenal?....
According to British press, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is lining up a £5 million move for Besiktas central midfielder Matias Delgado.
The Argentine international has little over a year left on his current deal with Besiktas and is believed to be available at a cut-down price.
However, Arsenal are likely to face competition for the 25-year-old's signature from Everton and Middlesbrough, who are known to be keen admirers, while Valencia and Villarreal are also monitoring the situation from Spain.
But Delgado is believed to be enticed by the premise of Champions' League football, which could help to sway the balance in Arsenal's favour.
The Argentine international has little over a year left on his current deal with Besiktas and is believed to be available at a cut-down price.
However, Arsenal are likely to face competition for the 25-year-old's signature from Everton and Middlesbrough, who are known to be keen admirers, while Valencia and Villarreal are also monitoring the situation from Spain.
But Delgado is believed to be enticed by the premise of Champions' League football, which could help to sway the balance in Arsenal's favour.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
FENERBAHCE KNOCKS OF BESIKTAS !.....
Demirel reacts after their goal against Besiktas during their Turkish Super League derby soccer match at the Inonu stadium in Istanbul,Turkey, Saturday, March 29, 2008.(AP Photo/Serkan Senturk)
As I warned last week , troubled defense for Besiktas cost another match for Besiktas. This loss will put Besiktas way behind in the race. The Dark days ahead for Besiktas. Because They will play against Sivasspor next weekend in SIvas. A loss their too, will put Besiktas, out of the European competition.
So, dark days are waiting for Besiktas!.. Rookie Coach Ertugrul Saglam has to be punished for this !........
Alex, scored the both goals for Fenerbahce. Before the big match in the CL, against Chelsea, this was Good morale boost for Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce coach won another Istanbul Derby ...
Also on Saturday, Ankaraspor beat Trabzonspor 1-0, and Denizlispor beat Genclerbirligi at home 3-2.
WEEK 28:
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Ankaraspor 1- 0 Trabzonspor
Denizlispor 3 - 2 Genclerbirligi
Besiktas 1 - 2 Fenerbahce..... MATCH OF THE WEEK
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Ankaragucu 2-0 Bursaspor
Galatasaray 0-0 Gaziantepspor
Kasimpasa 0-4 Sivasspor
Kayserispor 1-2 Istanbul Buyuksehir BSK
Konyaspor 0-1 Genclerbirligi OFTAS
Manisaspor 2-1 Caykur Rizespor
Friday, March 28, 2008
Altintop could miss Euro 2008!
Turkish National Team midfielder Hamit Altintop is likely to miss the rest of the season and is also doubtful for Euro 2008 after suffering a broken metatarsal.
Altintop had surgery in Germany after injuring his foot in Turkey's 2-2 draw with Belarus on Wednesday, his club Bayern Munich said in a statement.
"It's a shock," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said on Thursday. "It's doubtful whether he'll be able to play again this season."
Turkey are in Group A at Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria. The tournament begins on June 7.
Source:Wires
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)