Turkish Superleague season kicks off on Friday
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The Istanbul giants will start as favourites when the Turkish Superleague season kicks off on Friday.
Title defence
Christoph Daum's Fenerbahçe SK begin their title defence away to Rizespor with his side aiming to deny the claims of Besiktas JK and Galatasaray SK.
New signings
Fenerbahçe are strengthened by the young Gençlerbirligi SK duo of Serkan Balci and Deniz Baris, Diyarbakirspor's Murat Hacioglu, and promising defender Önder Turaci from R. Standard de Liège. However, it is Daum's Brazilian signings who could make the biggest impact.
Brazilian influence
If Tuncay Sanli and Pierre van Hooijdonk remain the team's totemic figures, São Paulo FC defender Fabiano Lima Rodrigues and midfielder Alex de Souza, who has finally been lured to Istanbul from Cruzeiro EC after six months' dogged pursuit by Daum, may take their share of the spotlight.
Del Bosque arrives
While Fenerbahçe are looking to Brazil, Besiktas are seeking Spanish inspiration after appointing former Real Madrid CF coach Vicente del Bosque. His contacts helped him to land the former Valencia CF striker John Carew, but Del Bosque has signed Turkish players as well.
Summer spree
The arrivals include young international prospects Ibrahim Toraman, Fatih Sonkaya and Çagdas Atan but experienced campaigners too: Okan Buruk from FC Internazionale, attacking midfielder Ibrahim Akin from second division Altay GK, Galatasaray midfielder Berkant Göktan and Gençlerbirligi forward Veysel Cihan.
Galatasaray centenary
The UEFA Cup remains a priority for Besiktas, while Galatasaray will want to celebrate their centenary in style. However, if the latter are to win anything, coach Gheorghe Hagi must eradicate the defensive weakness that undermined their last campaign.
Defensive cover
Cameroonians Rigobert Song and Alioum Saidou, as well as Croatian international Stjepan Tomas, have reinforced the defence, while Brazilian Flavio Conceiçao's arrival from Madrid may further protect the back four.
Sas hope
More significant still to Galatasaray could be forward Hasan Sas, who finally seems close to recapturing the form he showed at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hakan Sükür and Necati Ates are once more the men expected to provide goals.
Trabzonspor trial
Last year's runners-up, Trabzonspor, may be too preoccupied with their first Champions League campaign to challenge for honours, but in Malatyaspor's Celaleddin Koçak, FC Seoul's Lee Eul-Yong and Belgian Bernd Thijs, they have made sensible signings.
Wholesale changes
Gençlerbirligi, who reached the UEFA Cup fourth round last term, have had to cope with the loss of nine players. New coach Erdogan Arica has brought in Bosnian Elvir Bolic from Istanbulspor AS, goalkeeper Ömer Çatkiç from Gaziantepspor and Under-19 defender Hakan Aslantas from VfB Stuttgart.
Newcomers' ambition
The club also recruited six lesser-known Turkish players, but that is nothing compared with newly-promoted BB Ankaraspor, who have signed 15 experienced top-flight players, including midfielder Yusuf Simsek and MKE Ankaragücü defender Tolga Dogantez.
Tough task
Coach Samet Aybaba hopes his side can survive in style, and fellow newcomers Kayserispor, bolstered by 13 incoming transfers, have similar ambitions. However, with a more limited budget, the other promoted team Sakaryaspor may struggle.
Source: Uefa.com
