ZICO:“My problem with Fenerbahce is not money, but professional issues.”

In the recent interview on Sb Tv in Brazil, Zico said “My problem with Fenerbahce is not money, but professional issues.”

Zico, is set to leave Fenerbahce after leading them to the Champions League quarter final last season, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Sven Goran Eriksson for Manchester City team.
Zico has admitted that he would love to test himself in The Premier League.

I would like to work in England,” Zico told Sbs TV.
“My path is still in Europe. I thank Fenerbahce for giving me a chance and I repaid their support with good work on the field.

“I have some possibilities and I hope to resolve one as soon as possible.

“My problem with Fenerbahce is not money, but professional issues.”

It looks like Zico Era is over for Fenerbahce...

YILDIRAY BASTURK:"I will never play under Terim again"

Yildiray Bastürk will not be playing for the Turkish team as long as Fatih Terim is the manager.

In an interview with German sports paper 'Der Kicker', Bastürk revealed his frustration after missing out on the European Championships.

"I will never play under Terim again," said Bastürk who has made 49 appearances for the national team so far.

"I like playing for the Turkish team, but as long as Terim has the reigns, there's no point for me."

There is hope for the player though, as it seems likely that Terim will be making a move to a club team after Euro 2008.

NOBEL PIRIZE WINNER PAMUK:"Turkish football fosters nationalism"

Nobel winner Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk says football(soccer) in Turkey serves nationalist and xenophobic thinking, but he would still be supporting the country's team at Euro 2008. Pamuk said in an interview with the Germany's weekly Der Spiegel magazine that football(soccer) in Turkey had become "a machine for the production of nationalism, xenophobia and authoritarian thought."

Pamuk referred to an ill-tempered match against Switzerland in November 2005 when the national side missed out on qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Players and officials from both sides were involved in a brawl at the end of the match.

"That was unethical and unacceptable, especially how the Turkish newspapers reported it. Failure is blamed on the referees and some sort of conspiracies. Terrible," he was quoted as saying.

However , Pamuk, said that he was "of course for the Turkish team at the European Championships" even though Turkey coach Fatih Terim was "an ultra nationalist."

Turkey's first game at the tournament is against Portugal in Geneva on Saturday, when Pamuk also celebrates his 56th birthday.

ANOTHER BAD NEWS FOR TERIM!..

THIS TIME HAMIT ALTINTOP BROTHER OF HALIL ALTINTOP IS HURT

Hamit Altintop is a doubt for Euro 2008 after picking a thigh injury over the weekend during the international friendly with Uruguay.

The midfielder made the trip to Germany to show his leg to doctor in chief Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who does not seem to be very optimistic over his chances of playing in the first game against Portugal, and even the rest of the tournament.


“If Altintop fails to recover fitness before his country’s first match at the tournament, coach Fatih Terim would be advised to call up a replacement,” a Bayern spokesman told the club’s official website.

Could Farih Terim call back, Yildiray Basturk (Stuttgart) or Hamit’s twin brother Halil Altintop (Schalke), both were surprisingly axed by Fatih Terim, from the final squad announced last week.

FATIH TERIM TO FENERBAHCE?

After Emre's huge announcement by Fenerbahce club on Friday, there are rumors that Fatih Terim Turkish National coach might sign with Fenerbahce after the Euro 2008 Tournament.

According to the reports from Turkey, Fenerbahce also gave a proposal to Fatih Terim, the technical director of Turkish national team.

It is claimed that Fenerbahçe also made an offer to transfer the technical director Fatih Terim and has achieved an agreement of 80%.

IT'S OFFICIAL!...EMRE TO SIGN WITH FENERBAHCE

Fenerbahce reached an agreement with Newcastle United in order to sign the Turkish player Emre Belozoglu .Fenerbahce team has to work out the details of the contract with Emre and His agent.

TURKEY WIN AGAINST FINLAND.... 2-0

Turkey's national soccer team pose prior to a friendly between Turkey and Finland in Duisburg, western Germany, Thursday, May 29, 2008, in preparation for the Euro 2008 soccer championships. Down from left: Hamit Altintop, Sabri Sarioglu, Nihat Kahveci, Tuncay Sanli, Mevlut Erdinc, Emre Beloezoglu. Up from Left: Mehmet Aurelio, Gokhan Zan, Servet Cetin, Hakan Balta, Volkan Demirel.
Photo (AP )

Turkey put in their most impressive performance of their warm-up matches for Euro 2008 here on Thursday as they eased to a 2-0 win over Finland.
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Goals by Middlesbrough's Tuncay Sanli and Semih Senturk, leading scorer in the Turkish championship last season, gave Turkey a deserved win and will have done them no harm of good ahead of their opening Euro 2008 Group A match against 2004 finalists Portugal.
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While Tuncay and Semih got the goals it was the young Turk Mevlut Erdinc that caused interminable problems for the Finnish defence, as the striker, who plays for French First Division side Sochaux, twisted and turned them everywhere.
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Equally encouraging for fiery coach Fatih Terim was that his defence re-enforced by Servet Cetin and Mehmet Aurelio showed much more resolve than in their previous two matches which saw them beat Slovakia 1-0 and then lose 3-2 to Uruguay.
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Tuncay opened the scoring in the 15th minute, after good work by Sabri Sarioglu and Semih added a second two minutes from time after seizing on a ball from Kazim.

Source — AFP