It has been a tumultuous summer in Turkey. The failed military coup re-emphasised growing divides within Turkish society, while the forces of reaction subsequently mustered by President Erdogan have appeared to favour the settling of scores, rather than any attempt to seek a form of justice. But as scores of academics, members of the judiciary and civil service have been removed, football has also been effected. Perhaps more than anywhere, football in Turkey does not operate in a vacuum.
The most tangible effect on the Super Lig has been Mario Gomez’s refusal to continue at Besiktas. The top scorer with 26 goals and best player in the league last season has been driven away by the political instability that the coup initiated. Of his decision to leave, Gomez said it was “completely down to the political situation! There are no sporting or any other reasons that have made me make this decision. It is purely down to the terrible events that happened”. But people within Super Lig clubs have also suggested that transfer targets have followed Gomez’s lead. The instability - perceived or otherwise - is dissuading some players from moving to Turkey.
Amid such fractured times, football now returns to Turkey, first with the Super Cup between Besiktas and Galatasaray on Saturday and then with the Super Lig the following week. More than ever, the sport offers a form of escapism from the realities of everyday life, but while much is changing in Turkey, the league is still divided into the big three Istanbul clubs and the rest.
The Big Three
The 2015/16 season was heralded as the beginning of a new era for Besiktas. The club came back from unhappy exile at the Ataturk Stadium in the far west of Istanbul, returning to their newly furnished Vodafone Arena.
That homecoming was also marked by a Super Lig triumph, with Mario Gomez’s 26 goals propelling the club to the top of the table. Now, Gomez has gone, and the club have failed to adequately replace him. There is unlikely to be a player of Gomez’s quality available to Besiktas, but heading into a Super Lig title defence and the Champions League with just Cenk Tosun and Mustafa Pektemek may not augur well for their chances. Cenk, in particular, is a talented player, with all the attributes needed for a modern centre forward, but he is yet to illustrate that he can fill the gap left by Gomez. This season may prove more testing than the last, despite the feat of prizing Gokhan Gonul away from Fenerbahce.
Gonul’s departure, moving to the club he supported as a boy, has led to a fundamental change in the way that Fenerbahce line up. As well as losing their long-term first-choice right-back, the club have also lost talented left-back Caner Erkin, who moved to Inter. In came Gregory van der Wiel from PSG and Ismail Koybasi from Besiktas. Both are competent full-backs but, as shown in the Champions League defeat to Monaco, the switch to a 3-5-2 has not produced results. The club have lost two defenders that would have been effective wing-backs in a back three system and replaced them with two more suited to a flat back four, despite then switching to 3-5-2.
The transition to a back three has also been made more difficult by the signings of Martin Skrtel and Roman Neustadter, two of the three centre-backs. Their lack of cohesion, and even of time spent together, cost the club dear against Monaco. That failure resulted in Vitor Pereira losing his job, with the club now in the difficult position of being without a head coach just a week before the start of the season. The Champions League is an important part of Fenerbahce’s identity as a club, intensified by their recent expulsion due to match fixing, which many regard as inherently wound up with Turkish political maneuvering. Now, with the hunt for a coach underway, much talk in Turkey points to Manuel Pellegrini as the man that Fenerbahce have identified, with Marcelino and Marcelo Bielsa also mentioned.
Though Besiktas and Fenerbahce both face problems of various degrees, few are as long-term as those at Galatasaray. Those running the club have lurched from farce to disaster in recent years, resulting in a financial crisis and a ban from UEFA competitions. The issues with finances have compounded the groans of a fundamentally decaying squad. Wesley Sneijder, who averaged the most shots per game (3.6) in the Super Lige last season, remains, providing Galatasaray with a rare burst of quality, but even his summer has been tumultuous, with sniping between him and board members, who he suggested were trying to force him out. Problems abound but last season’s finish will probably be improved upon. The squad are gifted with the expectation that this season cannot possibly be as bad as the last, yet the uninspiring singings of Serdar Aziz and Eren Derdiyok do little to suggest anything other than a slow crawl up to third. It will take a lot more than £11m in transfer fees to rescue Galatasaray.
The Rest
Turkish football has been forever dominated by the three Istanbul clubs, with only Trabzonspor and Bursaspor breaking into the cartel in recent years. Both have now fallen away, largely sustaining themselves with the memory of past triumphs. While Bursaspor’s success was more of an anomaly, Trabzonspor remain one of Turkey’s historic clubs. Located on the Black Sea, Trabzon is a fiercely independent city, whose football fans identify themselves through indemnity to the Istanbul elite. And this summer, they have edged towards improvements. The signings of Luis Ibanez and Jan Durica should add some form of stability in defence, while Ogenyi Onazi’s arrival from Lazio could provide something that was previously missing in midfield.
Then there are last season’s trio of overachievers: Konyaspor, Istanbul Baskasehir and Osmanlispor. With Bursaspor and Trabzonspor falling away, each of the previous few seasons has seen one or two of ‘the rest’ making their way to the top five. Sivasspor, Kasimpasa and Eskesehirspor have performed well in recent years, before dropping out. Konyaspor may be the latest to achieve only fleeting success. The dual responsibility of the Europa League group stage and the Turkish Super Lig could weigh heavily on a small squad. Istanbul Baskasehir may be a more sustainable challenger to the big three Istanbul clubs, finishing fourth in the last two seasons. Their financial backing and position within Istanbul could prove a steady bedrock for a sustained challenge to the traditional powers. But with this being Turkey, we can expect a few surprises along the way.
Can Besiktas successfully defend their Super Lig crown next season? Let us know yor thoughts in the comments below
