Tag: Galatasaray

Galatasaray lifted the expectations of their fans and supporters by getting into the quarter-finals of the Champions League but in this season their last encounter of the group stages sees them having to defeat the Italian titans Juventus in order for them to survive and keep on advancing any further in the European tournament.

The Turkish team faced Antonio Conte’s side during their 1^st leg which concluded in in a 2-2 draw.

If the final result is another draw, it will not be enough for Galatasaray in their European journey as the only outcome that can put them ahead will be a victory with all 3 points propelling them into the next round of the Champions League alongside the already qualified Real Madrid.

This victory will be easier said than done considering that Mancini’s side has been struggling on getting consistent performances. The Turkish team is one of the clubs in the group stages of the Champions League that has conceded more goals this season and with a Juventus team that will be going all out in search of a victory it will be a hard task ahead of them when they face off against the Italian titans.

Meanwhile on the attacking department of Galatasaray, Burak Yilmaz is performing superbly in the Turkish league but it’s a totally different story in the Champions League as he has failed to score a goal despite his large number of appearances and while Umut Bulut has scored more goals in the European tournament he is not the consistent performer that Mancini might want to.

This leaves their passage into the round of 16 hanging in the balance with nothing more than a victory being the only thing that can see them going through.

Galatasaray are thought to be extremely close to signing Chelsea midfielder John obi Mikel. The player has said that in a statement that Galatasaray are in advanced negotiations with Chelsea over a potential transfer. This will come as a surprise to many especially because Mikel had several years left on his contract still. He has been a first-team regular for the club over the last few years after having been signed by Chelsea Mourinho back in 2006 as a teenager. He has said that he has spent several years at Chelsea to consider a move away from the club.

If he moves to Galatasaray, he will be joining his former teammate Didier Drogba, who moved to the Turkish capital a few months ago. Galatasaray have been spending big in the transfer market in the hope of becoming a superpower in Europe. They managed to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League last season. Chelsea have been linked with Italian midfielder Daniele De Rossi over the last few months. They will be looking to sign the 29-year-old as a replacement for Mikel if he indeed leaves for Turkish football.

Mikel was initially criticised for not being mature enough, but the last few years have seen the best of the 26 year old. He recently managed to win the Champions League title as well.

“I have played at Chelsea for a long time and it’s now time for me to leave. I’m still only 26 and it’s great to receive an offer from a club playing Champions League football and doing well in the competition. Talks have reached an advanced level between Chelsea and Galatasaray. Chelsea won’t make the move difficult and regarding my salary there won’t be a problem. All that is left is for the clubs to reach an agreement,” said Mikel.

Even with the presence of a striker like Didier Drogba, Galatasaray were unable to get a first leg advantage in the match against Schalke. The Turkish club were playing against the German club the last 16 stage of the Champions league. The first leg was at home of the Turkish club, but it was Schalke who managed to take the first leg advantage after drawing the match 1-1. The return leg will be at Schalke in a week’s time. Galatasaray showed off their new signing Didier Drogba, who helped Chelsea win the Champions League during the summer.

The Galatasaray team also featured the former Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder in the line-up as well. Schalke were coming into the match on the back of a brilliant away form in Europe, as they have not lost more than a match in the last 10 encounters. During this period, they have managed wins against the likes of Arsenal. Hence, it was definitely not an easy match for Galatasaray, but they would have been hoping to see the poor form of Schalke that had seen them go with just one win in the last 12 Bundesliga matches. The Schalke midfielder Jones, who scored the equaliser, has said that the German team are extremely happy with the result.

“We are really happy with the result. We made one or two mistakes and conceded the goal, but all together we played well. Our goal was important, we’ll see how things go from here. We have earned a lot of respect. The action which led to my yellow card was dumb from me, I hope I can still play in the quarter-final,” said the midfielder, who will be unavailable for the return leg after being booked. The goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, meanwhile, praised the atmosphere generated by the home fans.

The Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim has said that he is not sure whether the Turkish club have made an approach for the Brazilian midfielder Kaka after he expressed his interest on the player in the midweek press conference. The 30-year-old Brazilian midfielder is on the fringes of the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu and is widely expected to leave the club in the January transfer window. He has been linked with many clubs in the past, but has not been able to seal a move due to the exorbitant transfer demands by the club. However, due to the fact that he has only two seasons left on his deal, Real Madrid are willing to discuss terms with other clubs over the sale.

Galatasaray are one club who are chasing his signature for a long time, but Fatih Terim has said that he is not sure whether Kaka will be joining him at the Turkish club. Even if Kaka is indeed for sale, then he would cost a lot of money according to Terim not just transfer fees but in wages as well. Only very few clubs like the French club Paris St Germain will be able to afford him according to Terim. Yet, they will be looking into every avenue as they look to bring the former world player of the year.

“If there is contact with the player only the president knows. I know nothing about it. The president asked me if I wanted to sign Diego Ribas or (Wesley) Sneijder. I told him I wanted Kaka,” said the Galatasaray manager. “My colleagues and I are working with all our powers to fulfill his desires. Terim said he needed a player so we must sign someone in January. We will do it as Terim is very important for us and we want him to be happy,” said the Galatasaray president Aysal.