ISTANBUL - Only one month is left before the 51st season of the Turkcell Super League, with the first week expected to be played under boiling heat. The calendar is set to give countries some time to prepare for the World Cup next summer, a federation official says.
BLOEMFONTEIN - Labeled as the world’s best football team, according to FIFA rankings, Spain takes on United States in the Confederations Cup semifinal game tonight, hoping to set the record of longest unbeaten streak in international football. This achievement is mainly owed to coach Vicente Del Bosque’s skill to get the best out of a star-studded squad.
IRENE, South Africa - Italy features the oldest squad of the Confederation’s Cup, with an average age of 29.7 years. Coach Marcelo Lippi faces pressure from the increasing performance of young players like Giuseppe Rossi, but is unlikely to make major changes in the squad against Egypt.
JOHANNESBURG - Brazil, Spain and Italy bring mostly full-strength squads to South Africa for the Confederations Cup that kicks off this weekend. As well as being a football carnival, the tournament will be a crucial test of South Africa's readiness for next year’s World Cup, with how infrastructure and security works being closely watched.
ISTANBUL - Only days after a tiring Turkcell Super League campaign coming to an end, the Turkish national football team manages to concentrate on the friendly game against Azerbaijan. Fatih Terim’s boys beat their neighbors 2-0. Turkey will take on France in Lyon tomorrow.
ROME - Barcelona meets Manchester United tonight for what is expected to be a classic match. The Champions League final between heavy attacking Catalans and United, looking for its fourth cup this season, will be highlighted by a clash of stars, led by Messi and Ronaldo.
PARIS - In the credit-crunched days, it gets much worse to lose in sports. Currently battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, English football club Newcastle might be hit with an enormous economic downturn if it fails to survive in the top-flight to sink into Championship, as it has one of the biggest wage bills in football today.
ISTANBUL - The relationship between South Africa and Turkey is "sound," but could be enhanced, said South African Ambassador to Turkey Tebogo Seokolo, who urged the continuation of efforts to encourage business and tourism between the two countries.
ANKARA - The Israeli group Sheketak, which is composed of dancers and musicians and has so far performed in more than 30 countries around the world, was in Ankara last week as part of the Ankara Music Festival. ’We follow the path of the international language of art,' says director Zahi Patish.
ISTANBUL - American goalkeeper Brad Friedel remembers his 16 months in Istanbul for the culture, the people, the çayÉ and a revolution of sorts. He calls Turkey’s fans the most passionate he has seen. ’The country is not there to adapt to you,’ says the former Galatasaray player who was pelted with coins and missiles. ’You are there to adapt to the country’
ISTANBUL - Reha Erdem brings new meaning to the word ’dark’ in the harrowing tale of adolescence in his latest feature ’My Only Sunshine’ (Hayat Var), competing for the National Competition in the Istanbul Film Festival. Growing pains have never been this morbid
LIVERPOOL - Two English powerhouses, Chelsea and Liverpool, will be meeting in the Champions League for the fifth successive season and, for once, it is Rafael Benitez's men who have painful memories to avenge. After eliminating Chelsea twice at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, it was Liverpool's turn to suffer the pain of defeat last year
İzmir can be an economic "metropolitan basin," a city of cities, through its educational institutions, human capital, history and multi-dimensional identity. As a city suitable for change culturally and geographically, İzmir does not have any excuses Ğ it just needs to think big
ISTANBUL- Turkey takes on Spain again in the World Cup Qualifying Group 5 game tonight. Fatih Terim's boys were beaten by a single goal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, but the coach is encouraged by his team's performance and says things will be better in Istanbul.
ISTANBUL - Hoping to earn a place in next summer's World Cup, Turkey is playing the first of the two most difficult games of the year when it takes on Spain on Saturday. With its two-year unbeaten run and the European champion crown, Spain is powerful, but not intimidating, says Fatih Terim