TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE ROUND- UP

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce wins it late,Besiktas back in the race........

Galatasaray kept in touch with Fenerbahce at the top of the Turkish Turkcell Super League with a last-gasp 1-0 win against Genclerbirligi. On the other hand, League Leader Fenerbahce on Saturday did the same thing against strong Kayserispor,Besiktas after beating Sivasspor in Sivas 2-1 ,got back in the race.



On Sunday,Galatasaray had to wait until the 88th minute for Cassio Lincoln to score the winning goal that keeps the Turkish giants two points behind Fenerbahce with five games left.



Sivasspor and Besiktas remain three points behind in third and fourth respectively. The two sides met with Besiktas edging the contest 2-1 thanks to two early goals from Filip Holosko.The Slovak striker struck in the ninth and 14th minutes to put Besiktas in charge, before Mehmet Yildiz set up a tense finish with a goal for Sivasspor in the final minute of the game after Ibrahim Kas had been sent off for Besiktas.



At the end of the table Caykur Rizespor and Konyaspor failed to ease their relegation worries with a 2-2 draw.Fifth-bottom Konyaspor took the lead in the first half through Veysel Cihan before second-half substitute Dos Santos Anderson equalised after being on the field just two minutes.Cihan scored again in the 79th minute, but second-bottom Caykur Rizespor drew level again a minute later through Fahri Tatan and hung on for a point despite Tatan seeing red with 10 minutes to play.



Elsewhere on Sunday, Manisaspor stayed in the bottom three after Eser Yagmur's fourth-minute goal for Bursaspor earned them a 1-0 win.



Gaziantepspor beat Ankaragucu 2-1 with Bulent Bolukbasi scoring in the 29th and 90th minutes after Gokhan Emreciksin had levelled on 55 minutes, while Ankaraspor beat Istanbul Buyuksehir 1-0 thanks to a 44th-minute goal by Mehmet Yilmaz.

On Saturday, Fenerbahce have left it late with a last-gasp victory over Kayserispor.Substitute Semih Senturk struck in stoppage-time to earn the hosts a 2-1 victory after De Souza Alex's 65th minute penalty had equalised Alioum Saidou's 32nd-minuteopener.



Also on Saturday,League bottom team, Kasimpasa picked up a rare win away to Genclerbiligi thanks to a 10th-minute effort from Berthel Askou but remain almost certainties for relegation.



On Friday, In th openning match of the week, Trabzonspor leapfrogged Denizlispor by beating them 2-0 to move into sixth place in the Turkish Turkcell Super League.



Umut Bulut opened the scoring for the hosts three minutes before half-time and substitute Adnan Gungor made the game safe six minutes after the restart.Trabzonspor move two points clear of their opponents thanks to the victory.

Fenerbahce star Deivid mocks Chelsea, Cudicini

Fenerbahce striker Deivid has taunted Chelsea ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal return-leg in London.
Roman Abramovich has spent more than £350million on players since taking over the club but Deivid claimed that it will count for nothing.

He said: "In football, names and money don't win games. You have to go out there and play, 11 against 11. Money buys players, but doesn't build teams. We will play until the death and the better side on that specific night will be in the semi-finals."

And the Brazil ace rubbed salt into the Blues' wounds when he revealed that former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman had told the Fenerbahce players that Carlo Cudicini is dodgy at certain shots.

Deivid said: "Before the game I spoke to Kezman and he told me their keeper would have problems if we shot and the ball curled away from his position.

"He told me he used to stay stepping over the goalline, so he had difficulties to react when the ball went too far from him.

"That is what I tried but I never imagined the ball would go where it went - though I think Cech wouldn't have been able to save it either!"
Source:(tribalfooball.com - April 06, 2008 )

PREVIEW: CHELSEA V FENERBAHCE

Chelsea left Istanbul wondering how they had managed to lose their Champions League quarter-final first leg to Fenerbahce but they should recover from the setback in Tuesday's home return.

For all the celebrations of the Turkish side's upset 2-1 victory, the odds remain heavily in favour of the London side, who need only a 1-0 success to advance to a semi-final meeting with either Arsenal or Liverpool.

"We played well in Turkey, not just in the first half but in the second half until they scored," manager Avram Grant said.

"Fenerbahce are a good team with a good coach. Zico was a player I liked very much. It will not be easy but I know we can win. We have a lot of quality and can beat anyone.

"I know what I expect and what we can do. I have confidence in my team, never mind whether we are playing Fenerbahce or Barcelona."

Grant rested half his first-choice side for Saturday's 2-0 win at Manchester City and said the squad factor had been important in enabling the club to challenge on two fronts deep into the season.

"During December and January nearly all the big players were out," he said of the likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien.

"This group of players has brought us to the place we are now. They have done a terrific job - so we trust them."

Nevertheless, the second leg of a Champions League quarter-final is not a place for sentiment and the big guns will all be back.

Essien played at right back in the first leg but could give way to Paulo Ferreira while Petr Cech could return from injury in place of Carlo Cudicini.


CLUB BUZZING

It is at the other end where Grant's selection will be vital, however, with a likely starting front three of Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole with Nicolas Anelka on the bench.

Chelsea have lacked the panache of Premier League title rivals Manchester United in recent weeks but they have developed a nuggety ability to get the job done and, combined with a two-year 10-game home unbeaten run in the competition, they will back themselves to get the result they need.

Fenerbahce's first foray into the last eight of Europe's elite competition has got everyone around the club buzzing.

However, they just about managed to deal with domestic matters when an injury-time winner earned a 2-1 home victory against Kayserispor on Saturday which consolidated their lead at the top of the Turkish first division.

Goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, an important element of the club's success last week and expected to be a busy man at Stamford Bridge, was rested on Saturday, while Edu was also out of action after suffering a blow to the head in the Chelsea game.
Leading goalscorer Semih Senturk scored the winner and could provide Zico with a valuable option, probably off the bench, on Tuesday, should they concede and need to score.

Saturday's match also marked a comeback for Roberto Carlos who has been out of action since the first leg of the last 16 tie with Sevilla, giving Zico a defensive dilemma.

"I don't think he is ready yet, he had some difficulties" he said of his compatriot.

The vast experience of Roberto Carlos and Zico's impressive resume have helped build the confidence of the Turkish side, who are really beginning to believe they deserve their place at the top table.

"Our opponents are quality but they do not scare us," Zico said.

Probable teams:

Chelsea: 23-Carlo Cudicini; 20-Paulo Ferreira, 26-John Terry, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 3-Ashley Cole; 13-Michael Ballack, 4-Claude Makelele, 8-Frank Lampard, 11-Didier Drogba, 10-Joe Cole, 21-Salomon Kalou.

Fenerbahce: 1-Volkan Demirel; 19-Onder Turaci, 2-Lugano, 36-Edu, 6-Gokcek Vederson; 33-Claudio Maldonado, 15-Mehmet Aurelio, 25-Ugur Boral; 99-Deivid, 9-Mateja Kezman, 20-Alex

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)

Source:(Reuters)

The Observer:Zico still a man of style

Fenerbahce's manager will not abandon his attacking principles in pursuit of success. Photograph: Ibrahim Usta/AP


Big interview

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zico still a man of style

The Brazilian legend who masterminded Fenerbahce's taming of Chelsea in the Champions League is preaching the same ideals he followed as a player; and his commitment to attacking football will not be compromised

Julio Gomes Filho
Sunday April 6, 2008
The Observer

'As time goes by, his life as a football manager will be much better. Not only due to experience, but because younger players will regard him as a normal person, not a superhero.' Alex, Fenerbahce captain, April 2008

For Fenerbahce's most important player, as well as so many others of his generation, Zico was simply greater than Pelé. After one of the truly stellar careers as a footballer, tarnished solely by his failure to lift the World Cup for Brazil, Zico is now living a special moment. For the first time in his short career as a coach, the European spotlight is upon him. For the first time in their history, Turkey's most popular club are in a Champions League quarter-final. And it seems the story will not end here.

Zico argues that Fenerbahce's plan to become 'as big as any European big club' in 10 years' time is no fantasy. There is the money and the structure for it and he may stay to see it through. The path more travelled, however, is in western Europe. Sooner rather than later Zico could bring his attacking style to a major club in one of the traditional centres. If he does, there will be no compromise in style. 'I will never give up on football that is played well,' says Zico. 'There are too many defensive teams around, with players passing the ball sideways instead of going for it. I like my players to have fun and attack.'
And, if he does, there will be no compromise in command, either. Zico vows he will never take orders from above on who to play and which system to use. 'We obviously owe explanations to the president or the owner of the club,' he says. 'After all, he is your boss. One knows what kind of things are acceptable to keep the job, but I would never allow my autonomy to be threatened. I line up my team, and only me.'

Asked if he could be Chelsea's manager and cope with this kind of pressure, Zico reverts to the pat answer: 'In football, everything is possible.' For now, the analysis of his current European opponents tends to the negative. 'Chelsea became a more defensive team after José Mourinho left. They used to know exactly what they wanted. They used to mark in the opponents' half of the pitch, apply pressure and show high levels of confidence. Now I see Chelsea more restricted to defence, waiting for the moment to counter-attack. They are obviously still very dangerous, because of the quality of their players.'

After Wednesday's 2-1 first-leg victory, Fenerbahce are just one draw away from ousting one of the giants from the competition. Within the club, the conclusion is that Chelsea's first-half dominance occurred only because Fenerbahce had 'more respect than necessary' for them. At half time Zico reminded his men that they were international players, that they were good enough to peg Chelsea back. The message was clear: go out and play as you know, don't be afraid. The players listened to the commander. Chelsea, just as the Turks expected, fell apart under the pressure.

For Zico, coaching consists of two unconventional axes: number one, dialogue; number two, teaching through repetitions. 'I will never do as a coach the things I hated people doing to me when I was a player. For me dialogue is as essential in football as in life. I like to talk to my players and I never impose anything, I always give them the chance to make their own choices.

'Obviously football also consists of tactical work, but for me the main thing is to show my players their potential and show them they are important for the team. I don't want them to listen to me and follow strictly what I say. I want them to have absolute freedom, take decisions and sort things out inside the four lines. That is my philosophy.'

Talking is so important to him that translators have gained a vital role in his two jobs as a coach. Kunihiro Suzuki, during his time with Japan's national team, and Samet Guzel, at Fenerbahce, have been Zico's voice for non-Portuguese speakers.

'Samet is almost being raised by me,' he says. 'He was a young supporter who spoke perfect Portuguese but was turning cartwheels after victories instead of having a professional attitude. He's learnt that and you can see the difference now. He is so important, because I don't have much to teach the experienced Brazilian players I work with. I do have, though, a lot to say to my other players. The Turks weren't used to dialogue, they were trained simply to follow orders. I've changed this culture here, I've given them examples and the chance to take decisions, and this is one of the reasons why things have been working well.'

Alex, his captain, says he sometimes misses a more conventional approach to team problems. 'It is his style and he is the boss. He avoids confrontation and never raises the level of his voice,' says the playmaker. 'You can often see he is irritated, but he keeps calm and doesn't stress out situations. The man is excessively calm, almost a monk. Actually, with all the problems we are watching with the Tibetan monks, I'd say Zico is calmer than a monk.'

Calmness and tranquillity, which he transmits to his players. Two recent episodes show the power of Zico's word.

In the round of 16, against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium, goalkeeper Volkan Demirel is preparing for the penalty shootout after two big mistakes that resulted in two goals. Zico ambles over and tells his keeper: 'Football is a great sport. It gives you the possibility of redemption in a matter of minutes. Forget what happened. You've got the chance to be the hero.' Demirel saves three penalties and Sevilla are defeated.

Episode two, Wednesday, versus Chelsea in Istanbul. Deivid makes a mistake attempting to help the defence and ends up poking the ball into his own net. The striker enters the dressing room at half time emotionally damaged. Zico reminds Deivid that he scored twice against Sevilla, goals without which Fenerbahce would not even be here. 'The own goal doesn't erase your history, boy. Head up, let's play.' Deivid redeems himself with a stunning 30-metre strike to seal victory.

If dialogue is Zico's number-one priority, training is second. He is not a studied tactician like Brazil's better-known coaches, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Carlos Alberto Parreira. Zico emphasises the basics.

'For me, playing football is a mechanical thing, like cleaning your teeth,' Zico explains. 'You need to learn the movements and have them in your head: controlling, passing, shooting, heading, crossing... it is all about training.

'If there is one thing I am good at, my gift, it is observing the movements of a player and correcting his mistakes. During my career, I did it right much more than I did it wrong. So, when I see someone is doing something wrong, I teach him and fix it. I would be selfish if I didn't share this gift.'

Centre-back Edu Dracena reports that the players do not even argue when the boss has a word. 'He approaches you and calmly shows you how it has to be done. You won't discuss with a man like Zico, one of the all-time greatest. You do it the way he says and it always pays off.'

After one training session, though, someone did raise question marks. Zico was trying free-kicks against the empty net and goalkeeper Demirel, up to a challenge, asked captain Alex: 'I am too young and I haven't seen Zico playing. Was he really that good?' The coach listens and prepares to show some old-school stuff. He needs to warm up and says the challenge will be on after his eighth ball. He does not need that many. After the fourth free-kick taken, his knee is already responding and he tells Demirel to be ready. What comes next is a fantastic demonstration of talent. Five perfectly curled balls into the net and the players have to ask him to stop in order not to dent the goalkeeper's morale for forthcoming games. Demirel has never challenged Zico again.

Fenerbahce's most experienced player, Roberto Carlos, explains that Zico's style contrasts with the other, far more tactical coaches he has worked with in Europe. 'Fabio Capello, for example, worried about the tiniest tactical details. Zico's training sessions are more focused on the basics of football. He is a coach who gives us the freedom to do what we know on the pitch; the only thing he demands is good football.'

The veteran defender's arrival is one of the keys to Fenerbahce's success this season. Before signing him, Zico sought to ensure Roberto Carlos would come and work, rather than beginning an early retirement in Istanbul. 'He is setting patterns and pulling the younger guys along,' Zico says. 'The players look at his professionalism and follow his example. I'm glad because I knew Roberto personally and I called him to warn him that he could not live off his name here, he would have to work properly along with the others, with no privileges.'

Zico was aware that names and medals mean next to nothing in Turkish football. Currently treated as a king - he is called 'Kral [King] Arthur' as his full name is Arthur Antunes Coimbra - Zico had been heavily criticised ahead of his Champions League campaign. 'I accept criticism,' he says. 'What I don't accept is precipitate criticism made without any analysis. I feel disgust when people who don't know your everyday work hit you below the belt. I have been called a trainee here! It seems that in Turkey everybody knows everything about football. What I suffered here made the Japan times seem easy.'

Zico was central to the startling rise in popularity of football when he moved to Japan in 1991, in the final stages of his playing career. Labelled 'Kami-sama' (God) by the Japanese press, he accepted the job of national-team coach in 2002, upsetting, he says, much of the English-language press there who had been used to a stream of privileged information from his French predecessor, Philippe Troussier. Despite a media campaign against him, Zico won the Asian Cup two years later. The 2006 World Cup, though, ended in first-round elimination and further criticism. 'I think I made a mistake there,' he says. 'I set expectations simply too high. Maybe I believed in our team more than the players did. This is experience and I won't repeat the same mistake here in Turkey.'

High expectations and a reluctance to forget the past are the walls that separate Zico from rejoining his old club, Flamengo. His first grandson was born two weeks ago and has been already photographed sucking a dummy decorated with the symbol of the club. 'I don't want to ruin it,' he says. 'I love Flamengo, but in football you go from genius to idiot in a matter of minutes.'

He joined Flamengo in 1967 when only 14. Seven years later he was a first-team regular. At a time when Liverpool were dominant in England and Europe, Zico scripted the golden years of Brazil's most popular club. He won the national league four times (1980, '82, '83 and '87), the Copa Libertadores in 1981 and defeated Liverpool 3-0 at the end of that year to take the Intercontinental Cup. Zico was man of the match and Flamengo the first Brazilian world champions since Pelé's Santos.

Zico remains the all-time top scorer at the sacred Maracanã, with the impressive mark of 333 goals in 435 games. His big disappointments came at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups - the '82 team regarded as the best Brazil side never to win the title and better than several that did. Four years later, he missed a penalty in a classic quarter-final against France and became the villain.

In 1998, Zico was Mário Zagallo's first assistant in a World Cup campaign that led to a loss to France in the final as people in Brazil began talking of how Zico brought bad luck to the country in World Cups. If the accusations demonstrate how quickly football turns its back on heroes, they are refuted by those who saw him play.

'For me Zico is a bigger name than Pelé,' says Alex. 'It is because I watched him playing, I watched the marvellous things he did. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Zico. That relationship of idol and fan made things difficult for me. I couldn't help looking at him and thinking, "Man, this is Zico in front of me, my hero." As time goes by, you end up getting used to it and differentiating things. Now we have a relationship of coach and player. And he is such a pleasant person to be with that I hope that after our Fenerbahce story ends we will be friends for a long time.'

Source:http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2271349,00.html

AP, INTERVIEW FENERBAHCE COACH, ZICO

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

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

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.