Turkey - where to start?

The Turkish Super Lig has been announced as one of the new playable leagues in Football Manager Mobile 2017, and I for one am excited. Let’s take a deeper dive into the world of the Super Lig, some of the key teams and players, and where you should start your career.

 

 

Galatasaray

The most successful team in Super Lig history with 20 title wins, Galatasaray are as good a team as any to start your Turkish adventure with. The current squad includes notable names such as Wesley Sneijder, Lukas Podolski and Nigel de Jong, and are likely to be blessed with a sizeable budget at the start of the game so adding to your squad shouldn’t be a problem. However, they finished a disappointing sixth in the Super Lig last season, so have no European football to offer.

 

 

Fenerbahce

 

Galatasaray’s fierce rivals, and second in the Super Lig winners table with 19 titles, Fenerbahce are another good place to ease yourself into the Turkish league. Counting former Premier League players Robin van Persie, Jeremain Lens and Martin Skrtel in their ranks, they also have a number of other well-known international stars such as Simon Kjaer, Gregory van der Wiel and Moussa Sow on their books. Fenerbahce will give you a solid introduction to the world of Turkish football, while also providing you with a Champions League adventure too.

 

 

Besiktas

 

The third-biggest club in Turkey, Besiktas still offer the experience of Champions League football along with a host of well-known names. They have 14 Super Lig titles to their name, with the most recent coming last season, proving they are still a force to be reckoned with. They name former Chelsea winger Ricardo Quaresma, ex-Fulham midfielder Karim Frei and one-time Leicester midfielder Gokhan Inler in their squad, as well as defender Adriano, who once played for Barcelona.

 

 

 

Istanbul Basaksehir

Something of a surprise package this season, Basaksehir are leading the way in the Super Lig with 26 points from the opening 10 games, with eight wins and two draws. Captained by former Newcastle midfielder Emre Belözoğlu, now in the twilight of his career, the team has only existed since 1990 and has been in the Super Lig since 2014. They qualified for the Europa League last season so will provide you with a challenge as well.

 

As well as the Super Lig, you can choose to play with teams in 1. Lig and 2.Lig, the next two tiers of the Turkish football system. Leading the way in 1. Lig are Yeni Malatyasor, who have 25 points from their opening 10 games, and who have never competed in the Super Lig – a good option if you want something a bit more challenging! Alternatively you could try Eskişehirspor, former Super Lig runners up and Turkish Cup winners in the 1970s (and who are managed by former Aston Villa defender Alpay Özalan), Boluspor who have former Brazil and Arsenal full-back Andre Santos on their books, or Sivasspor, who appeared in the Champions League as recently as 2009.

 

So where will you be starting your Turkish adventure? Let us know!

 

 

[mkgingerz]

I started with Fenebache, and now have a team featuring, Lukaku, Berradi, Malcom and Lewis cook.  bit boring now I'm dominating the league but still waiting for a champions league win.

[BatiGoal]

@Mollers01 could you please add/post info on Trabzonspor? I've kinda supported this team for years hoping they'd cause an upset as underdogs but never managed to seriously compete as title contenders with the Turkish top teams.

And I have to say I know very little about this team nowadays. So before I start a career with them some info would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Edited December 20, 2016 by BatiGoal

[Mollers01]

Trabzonspor

Six-time Turkish champions Trabzonspor are a good place to start in the Super Lig. A team with lofty ambitions, you are expected to achieve European qualification with just 100k to spend on transfers and 6k on top of your existing wages, despite the team finishing a lowly 12th last season. Suk Hyun-Jun is a decent enough striker (but make the most of him as he is only on loan), while young midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has plenty of experience both domestically and internationally despite being only 23.

The team is set up in a 4-2-2-2 formation, but seems to have an overload of central defenders and a lack of width in the attacking positions, so you may have to adjust that. The squad is also big enough to allow you to make some sales, while there are some bargains out there on free transfers to help your European push.

Playing with Trabzonspor? Let me know how you get on!

[anfieldsquirrel]

Good guide mate. I had no idea some of those players were in Turkey! 

[BatiGoal]

Thanks!

I'll play the Turkish league at some point and this team is definitely my team of choice. Pleasantly surprised to see Onazi in the team, I've used him on a couple of ocassions and he's been very decent. Sounds like it could be a tough first season tho.

[ian77]

Ive just started career with antalyaspor, only couple of games in.