Ozzy Neav

This season, the four way race in the Turkcell Super Lig is providing some of the most exciting domestic play in Europe. Currently four clubs have pulled away from the rest of the pack and will fight vigorously down the home stretch. Three of the four clubs are the usual trio out of Istanbul, with the addition of Sivasspor who have transformed themselves into legitimate contenders (or pretenders) for the crown. Defending champions Fenerbahce currently sit in first place with 66 points. The Canaries find themselves a mere two points ahead of hated rivals Galatasaray and five in front of Besiktas and Sivasspor.

The Canaries Flying High

Fenerbahce are arguably playing the best football in Turkey right now and are bursting with confidence after their 2-1 victory over English side Chelsea in the Champions League and their miraculous win over Kayserispor on Saturday at the Sükrü Saracoglu.  The eventual winning goal was scored in the fifth minute of extra time by Semih Senturk which sparked a storm of controversy. Fenerbahce bench boss Zico was quick to down play the official’s influence in his club’s victory.

Zico: “Everyone has the right to judge the referee’s decisions, but today we showed a strong performance and deserved to win.”

Fenerbahce players were quick to echo their manager’s comments.

Alex: “Despite conceding a goal we never gave up on fighting and I think that is all that matters. Honestly, we had a clear dominance over Kayserispor in the second half of the game.”

Lugano: “It was definitely a very tough game, but from now on no game will be easier than this.”

Even though their impressive run in the Champions League has come to an end, The Canaries hope to take their strong momentum to the Super Lig finish line.

Galatasaray in Turmoil

For all the confidence and success Fenerbahce are currently enjoying, it appears as if Galatasaray are heading in the opposite direction. The Lions recently concluded their fixture with Gaziantepspor in a goal less draw in front of an empty Ali Sami Yen, due to a disciplinary ruling by the Turkish Football Federation.

Problems continued to mount this week for Turkey’s most successful club when head coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp announced his resignation. The 73 year old German had publicly announced he planned to resign from his post at the conclusion of the season, but has turned in his clipboard a month early. Some believe that Feldkamp’s surprising departure is more related to health issues than anything professional. His assistant, Ahmet Akcan, has also resigned. Galatasaray is experiencing a transition in the back office. In a recent club presidential election, Adnan Polat was named the club’s 33^rd president. It will be interesting to see how the Lions cope with these changes that couldn’t have come at a worse time.

If Galatasaray are going to make a run at the Super Lig championship crown, they will have to do so without star midfielder Tobias Linderoth who has been out of action for a lengthy period and isn’t expected to return until next season. The Swedish international recently gave an update on his current physical status.

Linderoth: “I have a problem in my pelvic bone and that’s why I had an operation. I had to use crutches for two months as I was not able to use my left leg properly. After this phase I am now trying to run once again and to get my body back to its former condition.”

Regardless of all the adversity, The Lions did manage to pull off a 1-0 victory over Genclerbirligi last week with Brazilian star Lincoln scoring a dramatic winner in 88^th minute.

Besiktas Losing Ground

Even though Besiktas will be pleased with their 2-1 victory over Sivasspor on Sunday, (Holosko 9, 14) their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Fenerbahce several days prior was undoubtedly a devastating blow for The Black Eagles who will be hard pressed to keep pace with league leaders.

The match started off poorly for Besiktas when Fenerbahce’s dynamic duo of Kazim and Alex teamed up for the first goal in the 11^th minute. Besiktas searched desperately for an equalizer and their persistence paid off when Serdar Özkan found himself open in the Canary penalty area and hammered home the equalizer with a quarter hour still on the clock. It would not be a night to remember for Besiktas however, when Alex put the defending champions ahead for good with less than ten minutes until stoppage time.

Besiktas head coach Ertugrul Saglam attempted to justify his team’s gutless performance.

Saglam: “Let’s not forget that 5 weeks ago Galatasaray lost 1-0 at home to bottom club Kasımpaşa and went on to drop 6 points in 2 weeks. Any team may suffer a major upset at this stage, so we are going to stay in this race until the end of the final 90 minutes without losing hope.”

Sivasspor Surprise

The biggest surprise in Turkish Football this season is unquestionably Sivasspor. With low expectations and a minimal budget, the Anatolian club has surprised even the most optimistic critics with their consistent and impressive performances. The Yigidos demolished fellow Turkish sides Konyaspor and Kasımpaşa SK 3-0 and 4-0 respectively, with Bulgarian sniper Ivan Cvetkov knocking in all four goals in the latter match. Sivasspor President Mecnun Otyakmaz explained that finances are not paramount when determining a club’s chances for success.

Otyakmaz: "We have a very limited budget but we are competing with the biggest teams in Turkey. Financial problems can force your hand, but if you handle things correctly, then money is not that important."

Despite these bold words from Otyakmaz, Sivasspor will be put to the test in coming weeks, when they will be forced to try to continue their good form despite mounting injuries. Sedat Bayrak, Yasir Elmacı and striker Pini Balili ("Israel’s Forgotten Son: Sivasspor’s Balili") will not be available again this season. In addition to the injuries, Sivasspor also has to contend with a battered squad, with Mehmet, midfielder Sezer Badur and Mamadou Diallo not completely match fit.

Coming Up

Fenerbahce will travel to Ankara this weekend to face Ankaraspor who have yet to secure their participation in the top flight next season. Ankaraspor are likely to come at Fenerbahce, yet the visitors will be revamped by the participation of Brazilian powerhouse Roberto Carlos. Carlos, who has been absent from the Fenerbahce squad due to injury for almost two months, praised Zico for allowing him to play versus Kayserispor.

Carlos: “I had not been able to play for 50 days, so it was very nice to be finally back on the pitch. I really want to thank Zico for letting me play today, although I cannot perform fully.”

Fenerbahce captain Alex, in an apparent attempt to psychologically keep Galatasaray off their game, made this bold statement.

Alex: “I think Galatasaray will definitely lose points or at least a point. There are five more games to play and we are going to win all of them to reach the Turkish crown at the end.”

Galatasaray face an equally tough challenge this weekend when they face sixth place side, Trabzonspor. The Lions will have the advantage of playing at the Ali Sami Yen, but their recent run has been a disappointment and many wonder if the Turkish championship has already slipped through their fingers.

Besiktas will arguably have the easiest match this weekend when they host Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ. The Ankara side currently sits at the middle of the table and without much to play for, may show up somewhat complacent this weekend. This fixture is a must win for Besiktas who sit five points of Fenerbahce in fourth place.

Sivasspor will face a tough challenge when they battle fifth place Kayserispor. Even though 13 points separate the two sides, Sivasspor will have to overcome injuries and season ending pressure that most of their squad might not be accustomed to.

The Turkcell Super Lig championship is Fenerbahce’s to lose. While the two point margin over Galatasaray may seem slim, the Canary’s fantastic form, especially the recent play of Alex, indicates that Fenerbahce, as the Brazilian predicted, have a realistic chance of not losing again this year.