I
n theend,Trabzonspor
capturingtheirseventh
SuperLigtitlewasaquestion
ofwhen notif.Havingbeen
topvirtuallyall season,the
tangible rewardwasmade
mathematicallycertain
after a 2-2 draw with mid-table
AntalyasporonApril 30.
Therecordbookswill markthis
dateas when Trabzonsporended
their38-yearwaitfor a league
championship.Itisonlythesecond
timeinnearlyfourdecadesthatthe
titlehasleftIstanbulbut,aswith
prettymucheverything in Turkey,
itisnotthatsimple.
In 2010 -11 Trabzonspormissedout
onthe titletoFenerbahcebyvirtueof
goaldifference.Theiropponents were
laterwithdrawnfromEuropebythe
TurkishFootballFederationamid
aninvestigationintomatchfixing.
Trabzonsportooktheirplaceinthe
ChampionsLeaguegroupstage,
securinga famousvictory over
Internazionaleatthe SanSiro, but
never replacedFenerbahceatthe
topof theleaguetable.
Speak to pretty much any
Trabzonsporsupporter andthey
willtellyouthatthe
2011 titleistheirs
- despiteall
involvedlaterbeing
acquitted.Inthe
decadeorsosince,
thisgrievancehas
lingeredinthe
mindsofthenotoriouslyvolatilelocals.
Forexample,inApril 2016 a league
gameagainst Fenerwasabandoned
after a fan ranontothepitchand
assaultedanassistantreferee.
It seemsfittingthatthe mantofinally
deliverjusticetoTrabzonarrivedinthe
citywith a vendettaofhisown.Despite
beingregardedasoneofTurkey’sbest
coaches,AbdullahAvcihaslongbeen
questionedafter lettingseveral leadsat
thetopoftheleagueevaporate while
coachingIstanbulBasaksehir. He was
alsosackedmidwaythroughthe
2019 -20season by Besiktas.
HowsweetitisforAvcithatwhilehis
ex-employershaveendureda dreadful
defenceoftheirtitle,Trabzonsporhave
risen.WiththeBig ThreeofBesiktas,
FenerbahceandGalatasaray allhaving
sackedmanagersthisseason,Avcihas
hadthe last laugh.
AppointedinNovember 2020
tosucceedformerChelseaassistant
EddieNewton,Avcihasimplemented
hiscoaching blueprint.Fromthe get-
gothistermthe BlackSeaStormhave
liveduptotheirnickname,representing
a maroonandsky-blueblendof
defensivesolidityandattackingflair.
Avcihasbuilta teamarounda
numberofexperiencedindividuals,
andnonemoresothanformerNapoli
superstar MarekHamsik.Despitenow
being 34 andhavingplayedat Dalian
ProfessionalandIFKGoteborgin
recentseasons,the Slovakiaschemer
hasthrivedina deeper roleinAvci’s
4-2-3-1 formation.Securingthefirst
leaguetitleofhiscareer, Trabzonspor
supportershavetakento Hamsikjust
asthosein Naplesdid,with some
childrenevencopyinghistrademark
Mohawkhairstyle.
Beingbald,suchluxurydoes
notbefallNigerianwingerAnthony
Nwakaeme,whountil movingto
Trabzonsporin 2018 hadspenthis
professionalcareermiddlingaround
Romania andIsrael.Hehastrulyfound
a homeonthe BlackSeacoast,getting
doublefigures forbothgoalsand
assistsandbecoming a culthero
inTrabzon.
Lastsummer, supportersunveiled
a statueofNwakaemewearinga flat
cap,ina nodtotheirlegendarycoach
AhmetSuatOzyazici,the onlymanin
Turkishfootballhistoryto repeatedly
breakIstanbul’sstrangleholdon the
title.Timewilltellif Avci is ableto
dothe same.
Hiscurrentsquad certainlypossess
enoughtalent.AlongsideHamsik’s
leadershipinmidfieldstands Greece
captainAnastasiosBakasetas,whohas
weighedinwithdoublefiguresfor goal
involvementsasthe side’smainNo. 1 0.
BosnianwingerEdinViscahasproved
a usefuladditionfromBasaksehir in
January,withformerCardiffCitystriker
AndreasCorneliusnetting 15 goalsas
thelonestriker.
Despitethepresenceofinfluential
imports, Avci’s teamalsoholdstrue
toclubtraditions.Success for
Trabzonsporhasalwayscomewitha
healthypresenceofplayersfromthe
region,andthe heroesof 2 02 1-2 2
areno different,withAbdulkadir
Omur– a precociousattacking
midfielderwhosecareerhasbeen
stuntedbyseveral injuries– and
central defendersAhmetcanKaplan
andHuseyinTurkmenflyingthe
homegrown flag.Thereis alsoclub
captainUgurcanCakir, Turkey’s
nationalgoalkeeper, whocontinues
tobelinkedwithamoveabroad.
22 WORLDSOCCER
Thriving...veteran
Slovakianmidfielder
MarekHamsik
Fromtheget-gothistermtheBlackSeaStorm
haveliveduptotheirnickname,representing
amaroonandsky-blueblendofdefensive
solidityandattackingflair
Trabzonspor
Trabzon-basedclubwintheirfirsttitleinalmost
40 years,astraditionalgiantsfallbythewayside
Headliners
Titlewinners
...Trabzonspor
celebrateagoal
againstHatayspor
