Fenerbahce Worldwide: July 2006

Frustration Continues...Carlos Staying at Madrid

Real Madrid has swooped in at the last minute and convinced defender Roberto Carlos to stay. Carlos announced on Monday that he felt more confident about his tenure with Real and the goals he hopes to accomplish after meeting with team management.

The brutal offseason continues for Fenerbahce. Despite a willingness to pay top dollar, Fener has been unable to land a superstar foreign transfer this offseason. With the European seasons starting soon, the hopes of landing a major foreign transfer are diminishing with each day.

Fenerbahce Arrives in Faroe Islands

Fenerbahce arrived on Monday in the Faroe Islands after a one-day mini-training camp in Copenhagen, Denmark. Fener takes on B36 Torshavn on Tuesday in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifying.

Roberto Carlos to Fenerbahce Nearly Complete

The transfer of Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos to Fenerbahce is nearly complete, all reports indicate. Carlos has rejected a bid by Real to stay with the club, and he reportedly has also spurned Chelsea resulting in their efforts to now sign Ashley Cole. Reports from Istanbul indicated that Carlos will sign a contract worth between $6 million and $10 million. Carlos will join Stephen Appiah in the backfield to make up one of the strongest defensive formations in Europe. Fenerbahce has not officially confirmed the signing yet, but expect an announcement by mid-week. As soon as more information becomes available, I will post it here.

Fenerbahce Opening Game Date and Time Set

The official date and time for Fenerbahce's Turkcell Super Lig opening game against Kayseri has now been set. Fener will face Kayserispor on Saturday, August 5th at 21:30 (2:30 PM EST) at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Kadikoy. The game will mark the beginning of the centennial 100th year of Fenerbahce futbol as the Yellow Canaries begin their quest for a 17th championship since 1959.

Fenerbahce to face Dynamo Kiev or Metalurgs in 3rd Round

Fenerbahce learned that they will face the winner of Dynamo Kiev and Metalurgs in the Champions League Third Round yesterday. Dynamo Kiev defeated Metalurgs by a score of 4-1 in the first leg of their matchup, so it seems likely that Fenerbahce will face Dynamo. Stay tuned for more details...

Watch the Fenerbahce Goals!

Someone has posted highlights of the four goals from the Fener win over B36 on youtube.com. You can watch each of the goals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Lb2IKAs1U

Pictures from the Fener vs. B36 Game

These photos were taken at the Fenerbahce vs. B36 Game on Wednesday in Kadikoy. Special thanks to my good friend Ulas for sending me these...

Fenerbahce 4-0 B36

In the first leg of UEFA Champions League qualifying, Fenerbahce defeated Faroe Islands' B36 by a score of 4-0 on Wednesday. Fenerbahce had goals from Stephen Appiah, Tumer Metin, Tuncay Sanli, and Onder Turaci. Tumer was a late addition to the starting lineup, as was Rustu Recber instead of Volkan Demirel in goal.

The fans appeared boisterous, but their hearts were obviously with the Yellow Canaries' Deniz Baris whose wife passed away earlier in the week from an accident at her home in Germany. Signs graced Sukru Saracoglu proclaiming the fans' affection for Deniz and his family.

New Fener manager Zico picks up his first-ever win in Turkiye and his first in the Champions League. Fener has a short turn-around time of six days before the second leg matchup against B36 Tuesday in the Faroe Islands. More analysis on the game to come...

Game Day!!!

Today is the day - Fenerbahce kicks off Champions League qualifying with the game against B36 from the Faroe Islands. The game is at 21:00 local time (1 PM EST in the United States) at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Kadikoy. Fabio Luciano and newly-acquired Tumer Metin are both out of today's contest with injuries. Today's game also features the debut of new manager Zico.

Fener readies for 1st leg against B36

Faroe Islands' side B36 Torshavn has arrived in Istanbul in preparations for their Champions League 1st leg match against Fenerbahce. Gametime is 7:00 PM at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Kadikoy, Istanbul. The 2nd leg of the matchup will occur on August 1st in Faroe Islands.

Fener still has many questions to answer as they enter this game, primarily regarding their roster. Conflicting reports indicate uncertainty about the status of Nicolas Anelka, as well as Stephen Appiah. The squad is expected to make at least two more transfers, if not more, but have yet to close the deal on any foreign players. In addition to roster moves, all eyes will be on new manager Zico as he leads Fener toward a 17th championship in the upcoming season. Fener fans worldwide will also be eager to see how Brazilian players Alex de Sousa, Fabio Luciano, and Mehmet Marco Aurelio respond to their new Brazilian leader.

Diego Lugano Close to Joining FB; Anelka Staying?

Various Brazilian news outlets are reporting that Diego Lugano is close to being transferred to Fenerbahce. One Istanbul report indicates that Lugano is in Istanbul today. The Sao Paulo defender has rejected offers to join English side Liverpool and Spanish side Sevilla. He has, however, welcomed the option of joining Fenerbahce. Fener manager Zico calls Lugano the best defender in all of South America, and he would be a welcome addition to the FB backfield.

In other news, rumors are circulating that Nicolas Anelka has had a change of heart and wishes to stay with Fenerbahce. These reports are contrary to Portsmouth President Harry Redknapp's indication that the two sides are close to a deal which would bring Anelka to England. Stay tuned for more news...