Fenerbahce: Appiah Is Not Leaving

Several media reports in Turkiye have reported that several European teams are interested in Fenerbahce defender Stephen Appiah, and that Appiah may himself be interested in leaving. Appiah is, however, under contract with Fenerbahce through 2009.

On Friday, Fener released a statement dismissing these rumors and stating that Appiah would be with Fener for the long-term. On the club's official website, they stated "The club needs unity in all competitions to be played in our centenary year and the whole club, from its director to its football player, is aware of its duties. Appiah is fulfilling his contract with this in mind.
Our player is not thinking about leaving the club and the club is not thinking about parting with the player. The club has not received any official offer for or has been in negotiations for the outward transfer of Appiah. We see such speculation as an effort to create instability in our team."

This isn't the first time rumors have circulated in the Turkish media regarding Appiah's departure from Kadikoy. After his strong performance in the 2006 World Cup for his native Ghana, reports began circulating that Fener would eventually sell the rights to Appiah to another European club. Despite the rumors, no strong evidence has circulated indicating that Appiah wants to leave or that Fener wants to part with the defender. There is certainly no doubt that as Fener obtains success and Appiah plays at a high level, other clubs will be interested.