Turkish Football Weekly

So yet again, we had a temporary hiatus.  At least we’re back this week.  On this show, Eric Krakauer, one of the co-hosts of the Turkish Super Lig highlights show on beIN, joins the podcast for this episode.  Week 26 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  While the derby was broadcast in the USA live for the first time, it didn’t provide any results.  Istanbul Basaksehir does make their case for their title chase.  The relegation battle is proving to be tight. The podcast wraps up with a rundown of the standings of the TFF first division.   The podcast is on Twitter at @TFWPodcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @erickrakauer (Eric)

The derbies this past week were pretty eventful, in different ways.  Week 23 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Besiktas won the derby through Ricardo Quaresma.  Galatasaray won big at home.  Genclerbirligi continue their march away from relegation.  The week 24 schedule gets a rundown. From there, there’s a brief rundown of the recent TFF first division results.  To wrap up, a brief summary of the first legs of the Turkish Cup semifinals are reviewed.  Besiktas and Fenerbahce would play in Vodafone Arena again, but the result was a little bit different.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @GDmetellus8 (George)

The podcast returns after an unexpected hiatus.  We have a special guest as George Metellus of the Turkish Super Lig highlight show on beINSports in the USA comes on the podcast this week.  Week 22 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Besiktas stumbled, while Fenerbahce won big at home.  Istanbul Basaksehir recovered from their loss last week.  Galatasaray continues to stumble on the road.  Robinho shined for Sivasspor.  The week 23 schedule gets a rundown. The first leg match of the Champions League round of sixteen between Besiktas and Bayern Munich is reviewed.  The less said the better for Besiktas. To wrap up this week’s episode, Ata runs down the standings for the TFF first division.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @GDMetellus8 (George)

Apologies for this being late, and for no pundit.  Some scheduling conflicts came up.  Week 19 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  The week 20 schedule gets a rundown.  The TFF first division results from week 19 are also reviewed.  The results from the first legs of the Turkish Cup quarterfinals are summarized.  News this week deals with the end of the transfer window.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelist on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata)

The league is back in action, which means it comes with all the goodies expected.  Week 18 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Fenerbahce may have won, but it seems that their fans don’t want to give their support.  Referee mistakes highlighted Sunday and Monday.  The relegation fight looks to become really interesting.  The week 19 schedule gets a rundown. The TFF first division gets reviewed as they start the second half of the season.  Umraniyespor had a fun time against Gaziantepspor.  Rizespor is in the race for the automatic promotion spots. The Turkish Cup results from the second legs of the round of sixteen are reviewed.  The matchups for the quarterfinals and semifinals have been determined as well. New this week deals mostly with signings.  One transfer that came in during the recording session was Vagner Love reportedly heading to Besiktas.  Sivasspor made a splash with the signing of Robinho.  There have been some rumors surrounding Bafetimbi Gomis and whether he was owed money from Galatasaray, and this is also discussed.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

Only transfers and other moves this week.  But don’t fault our pundits this week for looking forward to that other football. This week deals with some players moves for the most part.  The first subject of discussion goes into Karabukspor.  Some players have been leaving the club due to not getting paid their wages.  Besiktas is about to acquire forward Cyle Larin from MLS outfit Orlando City.  However, it seems that the transfer has hit a snag.  Arda Turan is officially at Istanbul Basaksehir.  Robin Van Persie has now left Fenerbahce to heaqd back to Feyenoord (and by the time this episode is release it will have already happened).  Moussa Sow is heading to Bursaspor on loan, but the reported fee for the loan is a bit eye opening. Here's the link to the article referenced in the Karabukspor discussion: https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/insiders-view-into-what-went-wrong-for-tony-popovic-at-turkish-club-karabukspor/news-story/00eec4d544b50cbc0ddfe7d5592f2dbb Please note that we may be taking off for next week. Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

There’s still no football for right now.  A old friend though comes back for another episode. The podcast this week goes into the major news.  Back on New Year’s Eve, Gaziantepspor announced that they would be shutting down the club.  The pundits discussion the situation.  With Cenk Tosun finalizing his move to Everton, the pundits discuss the aspects of the move.  Finally, there were rumors and reports circulating that Arda Turan might be headed out of Barcelona and back to Turkey.  The club in question though is a bit of an interesting choice though. Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @asimbey (Jeremy)

With the winter break here, there seems to be a lot for some to look forward to in the new year. Week 17 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Sivasspor pulled off a win against Besiktas.  Winning streaks came to an abrupt halt.  Fatih Terim is back on the sidelines and Galatasaray benefitted from that.  Antalyaspor had a cakewalk against Alanyaspor. The TFF first division gets reviewed.  Ankaragucu’s run came to an end.  The standings at the top get a little tighter. The Turkish Cup round of sixteen kicked off this past week.  Istanbul Basaksehir might be putting their eggs in the league basket after their match against Giresunspor.  Cenk Tosun scores for Besiktas against Osmanlispor, and it could be his swansong. Speaking of Cenk Tosun, he is reportedly heading out to England.  News this week leads off with that, as the pundits debates the pros and cons of the potential move.  Alanyaspor have decided to make a coaching change.  With Fatih Terim coming back to Galatasaray, the pundits discuss Galatasaray hiring back Terim for his fourth term with the club. Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

A certain Belgian resident returns to the podcast this week.  The league may have gotten interesting this past weekend. Week 16 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce continue their surges, although one should also add Goztepe to that mix.  Galatasaray and Osmanlispor have been on similar wavelengths.  Saturday provided some individual brilliance.  It does get worse for Karabukspor.  The week 17 schedule gets the rundown The TFF first division results from week 16 are reviewed.  Ankaragucu is continuing their stellar run of form.  The Guardian article curse continues for Altinordu. News this week deals with one major coaching change.  The inevitable seems to have occurred as Igor Tudor got sacked by Galatasaray.  Karabukspor has some issues other than on field form to worry about.  Ozer Hurmaci is going to get some money from Trabzonspor.  But with Tudor’s sacking, that's the main point of debate for this week. (Note: the podcast was recorded in the morning (USA)/afternoon (Belgium) time before Galatasaray announced that they hired Fatih Terim back for a fourth term as Galatasaray head coach.)   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @razzerian (Kaan)

Apologies for this being late.  Someone had some work and timing issues.  This will be one of those quick and easy solo episodes. Week 14 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  The week 15 schedule gets the rundown The TFF first division results from week 14 are reviewed.  Also, the Turkish Cup wrapped up the fifth round of the tournament with the second legs played this past week. News this week features some interesting points.  Besiktas found out their opponent in the Champions League round of 16.  Karabukspor sacked their manager.  Also, there was a bit of interesting comment made by an anchor from the official Super League broadcaster.

Another derby has come and gone.  It seems somebody is on the hotseat resulting from that derby.  Week 14 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor are streaking.  Besiktas took care of business against Galatasaray, and Istanbul Basaksehir actually beat a lowly ranked team.  Genclerbirligi ended their current futile spell, but Karabukspor continues their descent into the abyss.  There was a bit of extracurricular activity in Alanya, and Umit Ozat really needs to watch what he says.  The week 15 schedule gets the rundown The TFF first division results from week 14 are reviewed.  Ankaragucu are probably the hottest team in all of the Turkish football pyramid.  Gaziantepspor got a result other than a loss for once.  It also looks like things are not so rosy for Eskisehirspor. European action is reviewed.  Besiktas made some history in the Champions League.  As for Istanbul Basaksehir and Konyaspor, the road in Europe has ended. Some coaching siutations conclude this week’s episode.  Antalyaspor have sacked Leonardo, and he never seemed to fit there to begin.  With Galatasaray’s recent form over the last five weeks, there’s already rumors that Igor Tudor is on the hotseat.  The rumors surrounding Galatasaray’s coaching situation is debated.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

Nadeem is back this week to review the league stuff.  This week certainly had some interesting results before that derby coming up. Week 13 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Both Karabukspor and Genclerbirligi really need to get going.  Galatasaray recovered from last week’s drubbing, but Besiktas may have had some hangover.  Our pick for match of the week didn’t result in anything really major.  The week 14 schedule is given a rundown, which this week features Besiktas facing Galatasaray. Week 13 results for the TFF first division is given a rundown.  The first leg of the fifth round of the Turkish Cup was played this week, and there’s a quick update of the results.  One results was particularly eye popping.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

This episode was recorded on Thanksgiving Day in the United States, so please, no Turkey jokes.  Nadeem Raja returns this week to provide his punditry. Week 12 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Both Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado had a good day in their matches.  Istanbul Basaksehir really raised a few eyebrows with their win this weekend.  We may have already teams destined for the long relegation dogfight.  Trabzonspor barely got by Osmanlispor.  The week 13 schedule gets a rundown. European action is reviewed.  Besiktas have moved on to the Champions League knockout rounds, and won their group with one game to spare in the process.  Istanbul Basaksehir finally won in Europe.  Konyaspor had the chance to win, but one of their own players would cost them three points.  The debate here though is the priorities of the clubs in question. News this week deals with two separate points.  Genclerbirligi decided to head back to their recent past to replace fired coach Mesut Bakkal.  Trabzonspor looks to be in a bit of deep water over a transfer.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

The international weekend has come and gone.  Now we’ve got only the league to worry about for a while. The Turkish national team played some friendlies this past week.  The real topic of discussion was the potential job security of national team head coach Mircea Lucescu.  Some have already called for Lucescu’s head. With the league coming back this weekend, the week 12 schedule for the Turkish Super League is given a rundown.  This weekend is highlighted by the one versus two clash between Galatasaray and Istanbul Basaksehir.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @asimbey (Jeremy)

At least it’s international break so we can catch our breath from the league.  But does anyone really care since Turkey isn't in the World Cup? Week 11 results from the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Fenerbahce’s title hopes could very well be over.  The rest of the title contenders got the job done this past weekend.  One result seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. The episode then delves into a overview of the TFF first division.  With the international weekend taking center stage, Turkey now tries to build towards the future with friendlies.  The roster for the international weekend is reviewed.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @asimbey (Jeremy)

Apologies for this being late, but the guy who’s been running this shindig has a new job now.  So to let the audience know, the podcast release schedule for the foreseeable future will be a bit erractic. Week 10 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  The week 11 schedule gets a rundown.  The European results are given a rundown.  News this week is highlighted by Nuri Sahin announcing his retirement from international football.         Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelist on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata)

This week, Jeremy is back with Ata to talk all things Turkish football.  We’ve got some variety this week. Week 9 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  There was a thriller in Izmir.  Nothing was settled in the Istanbul derby (well, either of them if you want to be really technical about it).  Trabzonspor’s woes continue, as well as the woes of Karabukspor.  The week 10 schedule gets a rundown. While Nadeem isn’t here, the TFF first division is reviewed this week.  It’s still pretty wild and wooly in the second tier.  There’s even an update on some clubs that used to be recently in the Super League.  Some Turkish Cup results are highlighted as the fourth round was played this week. There was some controversy coming out of the Trabzonspor match concerning Hugo Rodallega.  News this week concerns two things.  One thing is Konyaspor firing manager Mustafa Resit Akcay.  The other piece of news concerns testing video assistant replay.  With VAR reportedly set to be implemented later this season, VAR is going through a test run in three matches this weekend.        Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @asimbey (Jeremy) As mentioned on the podcast, we recommend that our listeners check out John Blasing's This is Football is Life blog.

As we get back to league action, there’s some interesting results.  We also have a derby on the horizon. Week 8 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Genclerbirligi pulled off an upset.  Akhisar Belediyespor went ballistic on Trabzonspor.  Galatasaray is still unbeaten.  The week 9 schedule gets a rundown, which this week features the Galatasaray-Fenerbahce derby. There’s a review of the TFF first division results from this weekend.  There is some news about two teams getting points deductions.  European action is then discussed.  While Besiktas went three for three in the Champions League, it didn’t quite work out so well for the other clubs who are playing the Europa League.  Istanbal Basaksehir though might have an excuse. A couple of news tidbits are discussed.  One deals with the potential introduction of VAR into the Turkish league as soon as January.  The other is the sacking of Ersun Yanal by Trabzonspor.  With Trabzonspor’s current woes, the pundits debate the firing and what is with Trabzonspor right now.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)

The title of this episode should sum up our feelings in regards to the international weekend.  Also, an old friend is back as Jeremy Chapman joins the podcast for the first time in a little over a year. The Turkish national team’s matches in World Cup 2018 qualifying are reviewed.  Well, only one of them gets fully reviewed because Turkey was eliminated after the Iceland game.  The match against Finland only gets briefly reviewed.  The guys discuss where Turkey should go from here. The international flavor of this week’s episode continues.  Turkey’s matches at the U17 World Cup being held in India are discussed briefly.  There is some good news coming out of the international arena for Turkey though, and that would come in the form of Turkey’s national amputee football team. The episode concludes with a rundown of the week 8 schedule of the Turkish Super League.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast and all the news in Turkish football.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @asimbey (Jeremy), @kankagroup (Nadeem)   Article referenced on the show about Altinordu: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/12/altinordu-dominate-turkish-football-homegrown-players The Ankaragucu documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0YtNjhg2EA

We head into the international break, and some of us are hoping for Turkey to come through.  This week, our favorite pundit from Scotland joins in to discuss the latest in Turkish football. Week 7 results of the Turkish Super League are reviewed.  Galatasaray is still unbeaten, but they left it late.  Fenerbahce lost in Manisa, but was the referee to blame?  Could the referee be blamed for some errors in the Yeni Malatyaspor-Konyaspor match as well?  Osmanlispor finally won.  Antalyaspor continue to disappoint.  Besiktas had a few people missing, but get a point anyway. The TFF First division results from the previous weekend also get reviewed.  It seems there were a few coaching changes, one of which doesn’t surprise one of the pundits.  News this week deals with a few coaching hire in the Super League. With the international break upon us, Turkey looks to qualify for World Cup 2018.  The roster for this weekend’s games are analyzed, as well giving a brief preview of the upcoming games.   Follow @TFWPodcast on Twitter for status updates of the podcast.  Follow our panelists on Twitter: @ata_dizdar (Ata), @kankagroup (Nadeem)