Turkey - Euro 2008 Team Profile

John Duerden reports...

Turkey Copyright © Soccerphile

Road to Switzerland / Austria

It was touch and go in the qualifiers in Group C for the team that finished a spectacular at the 2002 World Cup yet failed to make Euro 2004. Following a famous win in Athens, a home defeat by group winners Greece and a loss in Bosnia-Herzegovina left Turkey on the brink.

With two games left, Greece were out of sight and second place was taken by Norway. An impressive 2-1 win in Oslo did the job.

Analysis

The class of 2008 may have some work to do to match the one that almost went all the way on the world stage six years ago, there is some genuine talent in the team.

The Altintop twins have shown while playing for Turkey as well as respective Bundesliga teams Bayern Munich and Schalke that they can compete at the very highest level and with Fenerbache reaching the last eight of the Champions League, these are good times for Turkey.

The opening game in Geneva against the Czech Republic will give an excellent indication of what kind of team this is. There is talent certainly but it remains to be seen if Turkey have the steel to go all the way.

Coach Fatih Terim was a defensive rock during his time as a player with the national team and while he has added steel to the back-line, it is still capable of switching off from time to time.

Still, if the team can recapture the form and euphoria that accompanied the 4-1 qualification victory at the home of European champions Greece in March 2007 then they could spring a few surprises.

Avoiding the real big boys at the group stage means that confidence is high on the Bosphorous and expectations are too.

Key player: Nihat Kahveci

The Villareal striker is as technical as they come and is looking to make his name on the continental stage. Just before the 2002 World Cup, the diminutive player joined Real Sociedad and was soon in action in the Champions League. He's prolific in Spain and while he hasn't quite hit the same heights for the national team, that could change this summer.

One to watch: Gokdeniz Karadeniz

At 28, the playmaker is just starting to establish himself as one of his country's brightest talents and is looking forward to a shot at his first major tournament. After spending the best part of a decade by the Black Sea with Trabzonspor, Gokdeniz recently made a big-money move to ambitious Russian club Rubin Kazan. Has recovered his form and his place in the national team after a betting scandal in 2005.

Coach

Fatih Terim has been enjoying his second spell in the Turkish hotseat since 2005. The former AC Milan and Fiorentina boss has happy memories of the continental competition as he was the first man to achieve qualification in 1996.

Recent Previous Tournaments

1996: Round One
2000: quarter-final
2004: Did not qualify

Soccerphile says .....

It is doable but unlikely. Turkey have recent history with Switzerland and there are some scores to settle but playing a host is never easy. Portugal and the Czechs are the favourites and it is difficult to see the Turks in the last eight.

Euro 2008 Squad

Bet on Euro 2008

Goalkeepers Volkan Demirel (Fenerbahce), Rustu Recber (Besiktas), Tolga Zengin (Trabzonspor)
Defenders Sabri Sarioglu (Galatasaray), Emre Asik (Ankaraspor), Servet Cetin (Galatasaray), Emre Gungor (Galatasaray), Hakan Balta (Galatasaray), Ugur Boral (Fenerbahce), Gokhan Gonul (Fenerbahce), Gokhan Zan (Besiktas)
Midfielders Hamit Altintop (Bayern Munich), Mehmet Aurelio (Fenerbahce), Mehmet Topal (Galatasaray), Arda Turan (Galatasaray), Ayhan Akman (Galatasaray), Emre Belozoglu (Newcastle), Tumer Metin (Larissa), Gokdeniz Karadeniz (Rubin Kazan)
Forwards Nihat Kahveci (Villarreal), Semih Senturk (Fenerbahce), Mevlut Erdinc (Sochaux), Tuncay Sanli (Middlesbrough), Colin Kazim-Richards (Fenerbahce)

Flights To Switzerland / Austria
Opodo

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