IT has, in relative terms, been a quiet summer in the Turkish transfer market. The country’s major clubs, usually active traders, are less able to flex their wallets due to Financial Fair Play and the Turkish Football Federation’s ruling over … Continue reading Watch the money – Turkey’s currency crisis may make its clubs vulnerable
TURKEY’S GALATASARAY have been banned from European competition for a year after consistently breaking the Financial Fair Play code. It is the latest twist in the decline of the Turkish domestic game, which many believe teeters on the brink of disaster. A few years ago, Turkey was being heralded as the next big watering-hole for big-name players. Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder made his way to Istanbul from Inter and other players were lured to the banks of the Bosphorus to pick-up lucrative contracts. The Turkish capital’s big three clubs all attracted healthy attendances – Fenerbahce and Galatasaray both drew 40,000-plus crowds, … Continue reading No Turkish delight
He’s 36 years old and a battle-hardened striker. Did people really think that Didier Drogba was going to cause Chelsea too much harm in the second leg of the Champions League tie with Galatasaray? Apparently so, but if the game taught anyone anything, it was that the old Ivorian’s legs have gone and the sharpness is just not there. It’s time for Didier to hang his boots up. It happens and invariably, players are reluctant to admit it. Drogba left Chelsea in the aftermath of his Champions League winning penalty against Bayern Munich in May 2012. There were reasons, but … Continue reading Some things don’t change, but Drogba has
