Former Galatasaray Player might play for Manchester United

Manchester United has emerged as the latest club to be linked with a move for former Galatasaray and current Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, thanks primarily to statements by the 25-year-old French international's agent.


Alain Migliaccio has claimed in an interview with German newspaper Bild that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson would move for Ribery should the Old Trafford club choose to cash-in and allow Cristiano Ronaldo to mover to Real Madrid this summer.

Ribery has been in solid form for the Germany champions this year scoring six goals and setting up three from 16 games, form which has seen him linked with moves to a host of high profile clubs from England, Italy and Spain.

Last week Barcelona had emerged as the club in pole position to sign Ribery after statements from Migliaccio which suggested that a deal was all but in place for his client to sign a four-year deal at the Camp Nou.

But Migliaccio has now suggested that Old Trafford could be Ribery's destination, telling Bild: ''If Manchester United sell Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson would like to cover that transfer with Ribery's signature.''

Ribery is contracted to Bayern until 2011 and is enjoying his football at the Allianz Arena along with considerable personal and team success; last season Ribery won the German league and cup double and was named as Germany and France's football of the year.

However, the player has also said that he would be surprised if he saw out the end of his contract.

With presidential elections at Real Madrid this summer it seems inevitable that Ronaldo will be again linked with a move to the Bernebeu as he was ahead of the current season.

Whether Sir Alex Ferguson is able - or as determined - to retain the services of the reigning world and European player of the year should Madrid again declare an interest in the Portuguese could lead to a wave of high profile transfer activity.



Source{ Wires

Turkish Turkcell Super League Sunday Wrap

Trabzonspor catches Sivasspor at the top of the Turkcell Super League with a 1-0 win away to Antalyaspor on Sunday.

Tarbzonspor won the away match thanks to Umut Bulut's goal 15 minutes from time and now only trail Sivasspor on goal difference after they lost 4-2 to Fenerbahce yesterday.

Galatasaray drew level on 40 points with their Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce thanks to a 1-0 win at Konyaspor. Arda Turan scored the only goal after 10 minutes.

Giray Bulak's Konyaspor striker missed a big opportunity when Veysel found him self with the ball and could not pass the Galatasaray keeper DeSantis in the seventh minute of the match.


Elsewhere on Sunday,bottom team Hacettepe, who have won just three games all season, lost again at Ankaragucu with Antonio de Nigris netting the winner, while second-bottom Kocaelispor drew 1-1 with Bursaspor.

FENERBAHCE DEMOLISH SIVASSPOR AT HOME!...

Turkish Turkcell Super League continues with 4 games on Saturday.



The most important game of the week was played on Saturday between the leaders Sivasspor and the championship hopeful Fenerbahce in İstanbul.

Fenerbahce's 4 goals came from Uğur Boral (5 and 34), Semih Senturk (26) and Lugano (77), while those of Sivasspor came at Mehmet Yıldız (4) and Murat Sözgelmez (25)

With this win Sivasspor still on top with 45 points but, lost big ground in the race!..



If the second place Trabzonspor win the match in Antalya on Sunday they could share the top spot with Sivasspor again!..



On the other hand, Fenerbahce with this win came to life, again!..



This was the must win match for Fenerbahce ....



And they just did that....



They are back in the this race again with along Galatasaray and Besiktas!...



Fenerbahce goes over Galatasaray in the standings with 40 points!..



Galatasaray who has 37 points wil play against Konyaspor in a way match!..



Konyaspor is desprate for points after the other teams who are in danger zone won their matches on Saturday!...



Giray Bulak, coach of the Konyaspor, always plays though against Galatasaray!..



So, On Sunday pressure will be on Galatasaray! ......





Also on Saturday, in the daytime matches, Denizlispor beat Gaziantepspor at home with two goal,

Eskisehirspor won at home against Eskisehirspor with one goal and two ankara teams Ankaraspor and Genclerbirligi each shared the points with a 0-0 draw/

Tuncay's goal dent Liverpool's title hope!...

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Tuncay Sanli struck for the second time in four days as Middlesbrough dealt Liverpool's Barclays Premier League title hopes a fatal blow with a 2-0 win.

The Turkish international sealed Boro's first league win in 15 attempts with a well-taken 63rd-minute effort after Xabi Alonso's own goal 14 minutes before the break had given Gareth Southgate's men a platform.

The Reds, who defeated Real Madrid on their own turf in midweek, were a shadow of the side which triumphed at the Bernabeu Stadium, although Nabil El Zhar and Dirk Kuyt passed up glorious opportunities.

Gary O'Neil forced a good reaction save from Jose Reina from Stewart Downing's 11th-minute cross. Opposite number Brad Jones had already kept out close-range efforts from Nabil El Zhar and Dirk Kuyt.

When the opening goal finally arrived it came at the other end. Alonso instinctively stuck stuck out a leg as Downing's 31st-minute corner sped across the six-yard box but only succeeded in diverting the ball past the helpless Reina.

Boro might have extended their lead four minutes before the break when Downing robbed full-back Martin Skrtel and forced Reina into a good save.

Liverpool should have been back on level terms within three minutes of the restart when Steven Gerrard ghosted into the box and pulled the ball back invitingly for El Zhar who hammered his shot over the bar.

The second goal came with 63 minutes gone. O'Neil slid the ball into the path of Jeremie Aliadiere down the right and when he squared for Tuncay, he guided his shot past Reina into the bottom corner.

Brad Jones saved from Gerrard and Kuyt failed to connect with his skipper's cross with the goal begging as the game slipped further from Liverpool's grasp.

Downing and Tuncay combined to open up the Reds once again and present Marlon King with a glorious opportunity but Reina made a two-handed save.

BESIKTAS MOVES TO SECOND!...

IN The Turkish Super League opening match of the week 22, Besiktas won in the last minutes of the match again on Friday.

In Istanbul in front of rowdy Besiktas home fans Besiktas beat Istanbul BUyuksehir Belediyespor 2-1 in the last minute of the match.

Eigty minute of the match there was no score ...

In the 80th minute Rodrigo Tello scored the matches first goal four minute later Sehat Gulpinar made it 1-1 match for Istnabul B.B , than in the last mint es of the match defender Gokhan Zan made it 2-1 for Besiktas.

With this win, Besiktas moved to second place in the front of Trabzonspor with same points(42 points)

Besiktas is only three points behind the top team Sivasspor and Sivasspor will have a real test on Saturday in Istanbul against Fenerbahce.

On the other hand Trabzonspor will be away against a though team Antalyaspor.

So, after being the Lucky team in the last weekend Besiktas jut might be a lucky team this weekend again!.........

AHMET TURGUT

WHAT A FINISH BY GALATASARAY!....

Sabri Sarioglu slammed home a last-minute winner to earn Galatasaray a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup at the expense of Bordeaux.

Galatasaray looked like they were going out on away goals when Bordeaux scored twice in the space of a minute, through Marouane Chamakh and Fernando Cavenaghi, to draw level at 3-3 with a quarter of an hour remaining.
But Turkey full-back Sabri smashed a low 20-yard shot into the corner with seconds remaining to settle an amazing end-to-end tie.

The game had started at breakneck speed, David Bellion opening the scoring after just 11 seconds for Les Girondins, but Gala recovered superbly and goals by Arda Turan (two) and Harry Kewell saw them take the whip hand.
It was a sensational way for new coach Bulent Korkmaz to begin his spell in charge of Galatasaray, but his reign could hardly have got off to a worse start.

From the kick-off, the ball was played back to Diego Placente, who hoofed a long clearance upfield. The ball slid past Fernando Meira, allowing Bellion to race onto it and slip a low finish past the advancing Morgan De Sanctis.
Fortune was not favouring Korkmaz - in the 12th minute, Bordeaux centre-back Souleymane Diawara hooked a cross from Arda onto his own bar and soon after, Galatasaray's key midfielder Mehmet Topal trudged off with a hand injury.

The tide turned in the space of three minutes at the end of the half.
Turan equalised in the 42nd minute when he ran onto Milan Baros' lay-off and lashed home a shot from 15 yards.
The home crowd were still celebrating when Kewell, who had come on as a substitute for Topal, picked up a ball 25 yards out and smashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Galatasaray took control of the match thereafter and Lincoln sidefooted wide from six yards with the goal at his mercy on the hour mark.

The tricky forward made amends in the 65th minute, cutting in from the left and crossing for Arda to tap in from two yards.

The match looked over but Chamakh reduced the deficit in the 74th minute by running onto Cavenaghi's cute through-ball and sidefooting home.

Barely a minute later, De Sanctis dropped a cross and in the ensuing scramble, the ball fell at the feet of Cavenaghi, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.

But there was a final twist in the tail when Sabri scored a terrific winner after Bordeaux only weakly cleared a corner.

ESPN.COM: "TURKEY'S NEW FORCE?..Sivasspor upsetting the order

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Bulent 'The Soldier' Uygun has led the club up the league.

The historical hierarchy of Turkish football has rarely been called into question, but this season something has changed. Sivasspor's humiliation of the reigning champions Galatasaray in their recent cup games and a meteoric rise to the top of league suggests that, unexpectedly, they could become only the fifth club ever to win the Super Lig title.


While Besiktas (in the early 90s) and Trabzonspor (in the late 70s/early 80s) have offered resistance to the dominance of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in the past, 2008/09 has seen a new force arrive in the championship race.

In the top flight since 2005, Sivasspor have not simply sprung out of nowhere, having finished 3rd in last year's campaign, but the scale of their rise has surprised many. Some dominant home form at the beginning of the season - where they have won ten of their eleven games thus far, conceding just four goals - is the key. They have made a name for themselves, not by playing the best football, but forging a winning mentality.

A number of clubs have given notice of their potential in the past, threatening to cause an upset in the title chase, but have often been found wanting towards the end of the season. Sivasspor, simply by virtue of their fighting attitude, appear different and could be set to destroy the established Turkish order if they can hold out until May.

As unfashionable as they are, no-one can query the standard of Sivas' performances this season. Backed by a hostile home environment which sees opponents arrive to face -10°C temperatures (up to -20°C if you include wind-chill factor), they rely on speedy counter-attacking and a strong desire to battle hard. A philosophy which has already seen them upset both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe at home this season.

Pulling the strings is former Fenerbahçe captain Bulent 'The Soldier' Uygun, who was famous for his 'soldier salute' goal celebration during his playing days and began his sporting career as a wrestler. The 36-year-old manager claims to have learnt from Carlos Alberto Parreira, the Brazilian manager who masterminded his country's uncharacteristic 1994 World Cup triumph and managed Fener in 1995/96. Uygun has turned the club into genuine title contenders.

Still learning his trade, Uygun took over in early 2007 with the club rooted to the bottom of the league and led them to 7th place. He then won the 2007/08 Manager of the Year award for getting the club to 3rd position the following season and has instilled a corinthian spirit into his squad, with teamwork the priority. He has a tightly knit group of players with which to work and is backed by a strong boardroom, led by President Mecnun Odyakmaz who has said in the past: "Money is not a major concern. We are a brotherhood."

It's a good thing that money isn't important, because Sivasspor are not blessed financially. Already suffering from the fact that Turkish television only shows matches featuring the big four (Besiktas, Fener, Galatasaray and Trabzon), the club have been built on a platform of mediocrity, not wealth.

Picking up players deemed not good enough for the bigger teams, Sivas have recruited well, but without spending a vast amount of money. Their squad looks average in terms of talent, but that has been to their benefit when it comes to keeping their best performing players. Announcing that they were willing to listen to offers for star Mehmet Yildiz recently, the club were unable to raise any interest and Yildiz has gone on to net 11 goals in 19 starts in propelling the club to the top of the league.

In January, Mahmut Hanefi and Onur Tuncer joined from Fener and, with no real stars in the squad, Sivas are able to focus their attentions on their football. Israeli striker Pini Balili has returned from injury, French import Yannick Kamanan has impressed when given the chance and the club are riding on a wave of confidence in a bid to overcome the odds and finish strongly.

Balili recently wore a t-shirt with the words: ''Nothing happens through coincidence'' imprinted on it, while celebrating his side's Turkish cup win over Galatasaray, and he may be right. The league table cannot be argued with and, while these underdogs continue to improve, it is the reigning champions who have been hit hardest by their rise.

''It's high time we come to terms with the reality of Sivas,'' said Galatasaray keeper Aykut Erçetin after his team's cup defeat. But they haven't and even parted company with German coach Michael Skibbe last week, replacing him with 40-year-old club icon Bulent Korkmaz.

The upheaval surrounding the appointment - reports in Turkey had suggested that the club had offered the job to Gheorghe Hagi, only to be rejected - may hurt the champions in the short-term but it was necessary as the Turkish giants had failed to monitor the rise of the Anatolian club. Something had to change.

Two defeats and one draw against them in an 11-day period at the end of January set the wheels in motion, although the last straw came from a humiliating 5-2 defeat by minnows Kocaelispor at the 'Lions Den' a month later.

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Skibbe was sacked as Galatasaray boss after a poor run.


While Skibbe admitted blame for Galatasaray's freefall, claiming that he was ''unable to establish a solid defensive formation,'' his position cannot have been helped by the mountain of praise being heaped on Sivas. Fifth in the league and eight points behind the surprise leaders, Galatasaray fans expect better after a history of success, although some will tip their hats to Uygun's men for what they have achieved already.

Many in the Turkish media have dismissed Uygun's side as another flash in the pan and backed Galatasaray to come back strongly, but only the second half of the season will determine whether or not Sivas can complete their meteoric rise by winning the title. The general feeling is that they will fall away, as Vestel Manisaspor did in 2006/07, but there is also an increasing acknowledgement that this might be the year things change.

Sivas can begin to win over the critics with a win over Fenerbahce at the famous Sükrü Saracoglu this weekend, while Galatasaray host the club on the final day of the Turkish season. By then, however, it may already be too late to stop them.

By Jon Carter
www.soccernet.com writer
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=622044&sec=europe&root=europe&cc=5901