Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey will referee the World Cup semifinal between the Netherlands and Argentina here Wednesday. It will be Cakir's third match during the ongoing world soccer gala after Brazil vs Mexico and Algeria vs Russia. Starting his international career in 2006, Cakir officiated in the Euro 2012 semi-final. Another highlight of his career was to referee two matches at the FIFA Club World Cup 2012, including the Corinthians vs Chelsea final. In 2013, Cakir handled the Ukraine-France match in the World Cup preliminary play-offs. Cakir, 37, is the second Turkish referee to officiate in the FIFA World Cup 40 years after Dogan Babacan did it in Germany 1974.

Young Salih Ucan goes to Rome !

Fenerbahce's young player Salih Ucan will play for AS Roma team in Italy.. The deal was announced by the Roma club just recently . Here is the TRansfer information... 07/07/2014 TRANSFER DEAL SALİH UÇAN A.S. Roma S.p.A. would like to announce that it has agreed a loan deal with Fenerbahce Futbol A.S. for the player Salih Uçan for a fee of €4.75 million. The contract is valid for the 2014/15 season and includes an option to extend the loan for another year, at no additional cost, and sign the player permanently from the 2016/17 season for a fee of €11 million. Salih Uçan has therefore signed a 5-year contract, which expires on 30 June 2019. http://www.asroma.it/en/news/corporate_ucan_july_7/

Galatasaray name Prandelli as the new manager

Former Italian World Cup coach Cesare Prandelli will replace Roberto Mancini as the next Galatasaray manager, the Turkish club announced on Monday. Prandelli, 56, will succeed fellow Italian Mancini, who left the club after less than a season in charge after leading the Istanbul side to a disappointing second-place finish in the Turkish top-flight last season. Former Manchester City boss Mancini had signed for three seasons but left after what appeared to be a difference of opinion about the team. He guided them to the Champions League round of 16 at the expense of Juventus and victory in the Turkish Cup final. Prandelli, who will be officially unveiled on Tuesday, resigned as Italy's national team manager after the team failed to get past the group stage at the ongoing World Cup in Brazil. He had been in charge of the Azzurri since 2010, having previously coached Fiorentina, Roma and Parma. "Galatasaray football team's new coach Cesare Prandelli is coming to Istanbul this evening," the club said in a statement in Turkish on its website (www.galatasaray.org). "Tomorrow morning at the Florya Metin Oktay (training) facilities, he will be introduced to the players and staff." Source: Reuters

My Tim Howard Interview in 2003 !

Post by Ahmet Bob Turgut.

Turkish court orders retrial of Aziz Yildirim of Fenerbahce team

The Istanbul court accepted the retrial of  suspects so called, being member of   a criminal, organization but rejected Aziz Yildirim's demand  that  investigation was a plot against him and others.

Aziz Yildirim served a year in the jail,  and freed on pending appeal in 2012.

Turkish  court  accepted the appeal by Aziz Yildirim, against April ruling by supreme court appeal that
issued , six years and three months, jail term.

The date of new trial is unknown at the moment.

My Interview with Jermaine Jones

Post by Ahmet Bob Turgut.

Reuters : Turkey's Emre Belozoglu given suspended jail term for racist slur

Turkish footballer Emre Belozoglu was handed a two-month 15 days suspended jail sentence on Tuesday for a racist slur he used against Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora during a match in 2012.

The court sentenced the Fenerbahce and Turkey national team midfielder on the grounds that the act constituted an insult crime of "religious, racist, ethnic, sexist or sectarian discrimination."

The incident, in which Zokora accused Belozoglu of calling him the "N" word, occurred in April 2012 at a playoff match between Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor.

The sentence was suspended by the court as Belozoglu had not had any previous incidents of a racist nature, the judge said, and on belief that he would not repeat his behaviour.

Belozoglu was accused of racism three times during his three-year career at Newcastle United, but the English FA's investigations failed to prove the accusations.

Belozoglu became the first Turkish footballer ever to have been handed a prison sentence for racism.

Zokora, in Brazil now for the World Cup, had previously played in England for Tottenham Hotspur.

Source : Reuters