As 19-time Süper Lig champions residing within the cultural and historic heart of Istanbul, Fenerbahçe has lengthy captured the creativeness of soccer followers across the globe. Photographs of the Eternal Rivalry — the pitched battle between bitter derby foes Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray — are sufficient to drive probably the most blind to People right into a Wikipedia deep dive.
However the seize of Mesut Özil — a midfielder of equal fantasy able to constructing monuments on the pitch that rise as majestically because the Blue Mosque — takes the membership to a different degree. For the primary time since advancing to the semifinals of the 2012-13 Europa League, the world is watching.
I, for one, couldn’t be happier with what we’re about to see. In essence, Fenerbahçe has assembled the MLS membership of my desires. All of us wish to see Özil recapture his 2015-16 type, when he dropped 19 Premier League dimes and rightfully earned the moniker of Mr. Help, but when Özil is ready to expertise a profession renaissance, then he’ll inevitably be reviving a number of the careers of his teammates within the course of.
Fenerbahçe is a who’s who of footballers from our collective forgotten previous. Simply think about a few of these mixtures over the approaching months.
The Gamers Mesut Özil Will Be Feeding At Fenerbahçe
Papiss Cissé | Age: 35
You may bear in mind him for: For 4 months in 2012, Cissé — having simply signed for Newcastle United — was maybe the best footballer the world has ever seen. The Senegalese striker scored 13 targets in his first 14 Premier League appearances, together with the BBC’s Objective of the Season.
There’s nonetheless no rationalization to how Papiss Cisse scored this aim towards Chelsea.
— Soccer Tekkers (@BallTekkers) December 22, 2020
Diego Perotti | Age: 32
You may bear in mind him for: The Argentine winger is injured and his future is uncertain, however he reached the heights with Sevilla (profitable the 2010 Copa del Rey and 2014 Europa League) and his first full season with Roma in 2016-17 is now the stuff of legend. Nevertheless, all that’s been trumped by his generic “soccer stuff” tattoo on his neck, which is definitely a coverup of an outdated tattoo of lipstick marks from a former accomplice.
“My identify is Diego and I like some soccer stuff.”
Enner Valencia | Age: 31
You may bear in mind him for: Killing it with Pachuca, not reducing it within the Premier League with West Ham and Everton after which really fizzling out after a promising begin again in Liga MX with Tigres. However that every one pales with the time he evaded police capture — and the cost of kid assist charges — by feigning harm, getting carted off the sector and straight into an ambulance.
De Ripley. Enner Valencia salió en camilla, casi lo arrestan y lo llevaron con prisa a la ambulancia y así salió del estadio. Que cosas. pic.twitter.com/I7VnAWYLC3
José Sosa | Age: 35
You may know him for: There’s just one participant on the Fenerbahçe roster that’s performed for Bayern Munich, Napoli, Atlético Madrid, AC Milan, Beşiktaş, received Olympic gold and has a Chief Keef music named after him, and that’s Sosa.
Luiz Gustavo | Age: 33
You may know him for: He was a drive within the Bundesliga for 10 years (enjoying for Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg) earlier than additionally shining with Marseille in Ligue 1. You don’t accumulate 41 Brazil caps with out being impossibly good at soccer, however Luiz Gustavo will at all times be inextricably linked with that 7-1 defeat to Germany on the 2014 World Cup.
He performed the complete 90 in that one and was left for lifeless by each Germany’s superiority in midfield (Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Khedira vs. Gustavo and Fernandinho), in addition to his not possible accountability to cowl for Marcelo going ahead (Müller and Lahm being the opposing forces on that flank). What a goddamn catastrophe that was.
Mbwana Samatta | Age: 28
You may know him for: 20 targets in 28 video games and the Jupiler Professional League Golden Boot in 2018-19 finally led to a $12 million switch from Genk to Aston Villa, making Samatta the first-ever Tanzanian to signal for a Premier League membership. He didn’t make an influence and was despatched out on mortgage to Turkey, though he did rating an excellent header towards Manchester Metropolis within the League Cup.
“Sneaky Blinder” of the day, Samatta rating vs Man Metropolis. The Flying Tanzanian. #avfc #astonvilla #samatta #goal #carabaocup #Tanzania pic.twitter.com/m2hIQClU62
