The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Besiktas

  • Besiktas pay £11m for Abraham – to sell him to Villa

    Besiktas pay £11m for Abraham – to sell him to Villa

    Besiktas have paid £11.2m to Roma for Tammy Abraham – as the Turkish club prepare to sell him to Aston Villa.

    The striker had a medical on Saturday having travelled to the UK on Friday after Villa agreed an £18m deal with the Super Lig side.

    Besiktas had an obligation to buy in the loan deal which took Abraham from Roma last summer and did not want to sell him, but are reluctantly allowing Abraham to return to England.

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    Abraham, who has 11 England caps, scored 12 goals in 24 games for Besiktas.

    “The conditions in the transfer contract of Kevin Oghenetega Tamaraebi Bakumo-Abraham have been fulfilled and the provision for the permanent transfer of the player has come into effect,” said Besiktas.

    “In this context, a transfer fee of 13m euros will be paid to AS Roma.”

    The 28-year-old joined Roma from Chelsea for £34m in 2021 and scored 39 goals in 120 games for the Serie A club, winning the Europa Conference League in 2022.

    He also spent 2024-25 on loan at AC Milan, scoring 10 times in 44 appearances.

  • Ndidi named Besiktas Vice-Captain

    Ndidi named Besiktas Vice-Captain

    Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi has been appointed vice-captain of Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas.

    The club confirmed the decision in an official statement on its website on Monday.

    “With the decision of our President Serdal Adalı and our Board of Directors, a change has been made regarding the captaincy of our Football A Team,” the statement reads.

    “Our Board of Directors and technical team have agreed that players in more influential positions on the field should serve as captains. Consequently, Orkun Kökçü has been appointed first captain, while Wilfred Ndidi will serve as second captain.

    “We thank Necip Uysal and Mert Günok for their efforts during their captaincy and wish our new captains success.”

    Ndidi, 28, joined Besiktas from English club Leicester City in the summer and has since made six league appearances for the Istanbul giants.

  • Milner can play until he is 38 – Klopp

    Liverpool Manager, Juergen Klopp, believes midfielder, James Milner, is capable of playing until he is 38.

    The 32-year-old Milner has been one of the standout performers of Liverpool’s opening two games and is in line to play against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

    The Premier League’s joint leaders are seeking a third consecutive victory from the start of the season — a feat they have only achieved, four times since 1990.

    “If you’re 32 in any company in the world, they tell you to wait a few years until you can get a real job.

    “In football, it sounds like they’re close to retirement,’’ said Klopp.

    “But our players can play until 38 and I’m sure he’s one of them if he can keep free of injuries.

    “I didn’t work with Milner (when he was younger) but he is always good since I worked with him.

    “His desire to keep free of injuries is exceptional.’’

    Milner, who is teetotal, has been playing top-flight football for half his life, making his debut as a 16-year-old for Leeds United.

    He went on to make 500 league appearances and winning 61 caps for England before announcing his international retirement.

    Klopp now has a wealth of options in midfield, with new signing Naby Keita impressing in his opening games and Jordan Henderson yet to start.

    The German knows he has to rein in rising expectations this season when Liverpool are tipped to provide Manchester City with their main title threat.

    Yet, he warned, they will have to be at their best against Brighton, who will be boosted by last week’s 3-2 win over Manchester United.

    “They are a really good team and I respect a lot what Chris (Hughton) is doing there, not just the Man United game.

    “They’re very good, organised and on point. United had chances for a much better result but we are warned. We have to be 100 per cent.’’

    Klopp also paid tribute to Sadio Mane, who is outscoring teammate Mohamed Salah this season with three goals from his opening two games.

    “He plays his third season here. He has constantly improved. We really knew we would get a good player,’’ he said.

    “Did we know exactly how he’s good? I wouldn’t say so. He’s stepped it up. He’s a very nice person. That’s it.

    “All the others benefit from good players around but we can still improve and so can Sadio, but his consistency is quite impressive.’’

    Klopp also said he expected centre-half, Dejan Lovren, to remain out until after next month’s international break.

    “There were no new developments on keeper Loris Karius’s expected move to Besiktas,’’ he added

  • Bayern romp home 5-0 after Besiktas suffer early red card

    Bayern romp home 5-0 after Besiktas suffer early red card

    Bayern Munich romped to a 5-0 win over Besiktas in their UEFA Champions League tie on Tuesday after the Turkish champions played nearly the whole match with 10 men.

    They were helped by two typical Thomas Mueller goals and two from Robert Lewandowski.

    Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida was given a straight red card for tripping Lewandowski outside the penalty area in the 16th minute.

    That indeed proved to be the defining moment in the round of 16 first leg ties played in Munich.

    Mueller, inelegant yet always effective, broke the deadlock with a miskick two minutes before halftime to break Besiktas’s resistance.

    Kingsley Coman and Mueller added two more before Lewandowski helped himself to a late brace, virtually assuring the Bavarians of a seventh successive quarter-final appearance.

    Besiktas won all three away games in the group stage and came with the clear intention of attacking Bayern but their plans were torpedoed by Vida’s red card.

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    A poor pass from Atiba Hutchinson went straight to Lewandowski, who burst past Vida and was tripped as he ran at goal with only goalkeeper Fabri to beat.

    Besiktas could still have snatched a priceless goal minutes later.

    That was when Vagner Love got past two Bayern defenders to give himself a clear shot on goal, but his effort was high and wide.

    Bayern then laid siege to Besiktas and Fabri denied them the opening goal with a superb one-handed save at point-blank range to turn away Mats Hummels’s header.

    Having survived another scare when Ricardo Quaresma burst down the right and forced Sven Ulreich to save at his near post, Bayern broke the deadlock two minutes before halftime.

    Coman got to the byline and crossed, Alaba touched it on and the ball fell to Mueller who turned, failed to make proper contact but poked it home.

    It was a typically scrappy effort from a player once described on the German Football Federation’s Twitter feed as having the elegance of a swan on ice skates.

    There was an air of inevitability about the second half as Bayern took complete control.

    Coman sidefooted in from Lewandowski’s pass in the 53rd minute before Mueller struck again in the 66th, this time sticking his leg out to divert Joshua Kimmich’s cross past Fabri.

    Lewandowski got in on the act by snapping up a rebound in the 79th minute, before Mueller set up the Pole’s second and Bayern’s fifth.

    NAN

  • Bayern hammer Besiktas, Chelsea hold Barcelona

    Bayern hammer Besiktas, Chelsea hold Barcelona

    Bayern Munich did not spare their visitors Besiktas from Turkey in the first leg of the UEFA Champions Round of 16 at the Allianz Arena, as they banged five goals behind them.

    In London, Chelsea and Barcelona ended up 1-1, with Lionel Messi seizing on a defensive error to put the Catalans at an advantage in the second leg at Camp Nou.

    Four of Bayern’s  goals were scored in the second half, with Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski recording a brace each.

    Mueller had opened scoring in the 43 minute, 27 minutes after Besiktas defender  Domagoj Vida had been red-carded after tripping Bayern’s striker  Lewandowski.

    Vida was sent off for the foul because he was the last man to contain the Bayern offensive.

    Eight minutes after play resumed in the second half, Kingsley Corman scored for Bayern, making the scoreline 2-0.  Mueller struck again in the 66th minute for his brace of the day and Bayern’s third. Then Lewandowski slammed two goals in the 79th and 88th minute.

    The hosts dominated the match, with 66 per cent possession and 12 shots on target. Besiktas, playing with 10 men for 74 minutes,  only managed one shot on target. And it was in vain.

    At London’s Stamford Bridge,  Lionel Messi struck for the first time in nine games against Chelsea.

    Willian’s fine strike just after the hour mark had put Chelsea in command after earlier hitting both posts in the first half.

    However, one moment of carelessness cost Chelsea dear as Andres Iniesta intercepted Andreas Christensen’s pass to tee up Messi to swing the balance of the tie in Barca’s favour 15 minutes from time.

    The English champions must now score when they travel to the Camp Nou on March 14 to have any chance of making the last eight.

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte sprang a surprise before kick-off by leaving out both Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata with Eden Hazard instead operating in the middle of a front three featuring Willian and former Barca winger Pedro Rodriguez.

    And it was Hazard who sent the first warning that Barca were in for an uncomfortable evening when he fired just over from 20 yards five minutes in.

    Antonio Rudiger also headed just wide in a positive opening from the hosts, but it was Barca who had the first clear chance on 16 minutes.

    Chelsea constantly tried to surround Messi with three or four blue shirts to limit the Argentine’s threat, but he dug out a cross to the far post where an unmarked Paulinho headed wide.

    Barca then went on to dominate possession for a large spell of the first half with their control of the ball reaching 80 percent at one stage.

    However, the visitors lacked penetration before the break and were lucky to go in level at half-time.

  • Gunners chase Besiktas’Oguzhan Ozyakup

    Gunners chase Besiktas’Oguzhan Ozyakup

     

    Arsenal have been scouting Besiktas midfielder and former Gunner Oguzhan Ozyakup.

    Ozyakup, 24, was among the players Arsenal kept tabs on at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece during Besiktas’ 1-1 Europa League round-of-16 first-leg draw against Olympiakos last week.

    The Turkey international, who came through the youth ranks at Arsenal, was brought on at half-time in place of Tolgay Arslan and his introduction coincided with a marked improvement from Besiktas.

    Besiktas equalised in the second half and dominated possession. Despite only playing 45 minutes, Ozyakup still managed to complete the second highest number of passes (61) after Atiba Hutchinson (69).

    Arsenal scout Jurgen Kost confirmed that the Gunners are monitoring Ozyakup and could consider making a move for him in the future.

    “Ozyakup is a player of the highest standard, we have been closely tracking his progress and when we do our next search for players in his position he could return to Arsenal,” Kost was quoted as saying by Turkish-Football.

    Ozyakup left Arsenal for Besiktas in 2012 for €500,000 in search of first-team football and is currently a key player for the Turkish side, playing an important role in their Super Lig title win last season.

    Ozyakup has amassed 25 goals and 37 assists for Besiktas over the course of 169 appearances in all competitions.

  • UEFA: Besiktas draws Napoli

    Beşiktaş on Tuesday evening played a 1 – 1 draw against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League at full time.

    With the draw, Beşiktaş can hold their second place position with Napoli, just one point away in the lead. As Benfica sits in third with four points and facing the last place, F.C. Dynamo Kiev will not be able to catch Beşiktaş.

    Ricardo Quaresma put team Beşiktaş ahead in the 78′ minutes of the game through a penalty kick before Marek Hamšík equalised at the 82′ minutes.

    Other important matches tonight include Ludo Razgd against Arsenal FC 2 – 1, Man City against Barcelona 0 – 1, which are ongoing and PSV Eindhoven 1 – 0 Bayern Munich.

     

  • Turkish club rejects Besiktas bid for Aminu

    Turkish club rejects Besiktas bid for Aminu

    Turkish club Osmanlispor has rejected a bid of five million Euros by champions Besiktas for Nigeria international, Umar Aminu.

    Aminu has a release clause of 15 million Euros after he recently extended his contract at the Ankara club.

    He still has three and half years left on his contract at Osmanlispor.

    Sources close to the striker told africanFootball.com he is aware of the Besiktas interest.

    “He has confided in some of his friends in the national team about the Besiktas interest, but he is still waiting on his club to get across to him,” one of the sources told africanFootball.com.

  • Besiktas, Trabzonspor want Onazi

    Besiktas, Trabzonspor want Onazi

    Two Turkish Super Lig clubs, Beşiktaş and Trabzonspor are considering a move for Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, in the summer.

    Onazi is looking for new team due to his lack of first team opportunities with Seria A side, Lazio, where he has featured in only 11 games this season, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

    The midfielder was proposed to Besiktas by one of the club chief scouts, who also has a good relationship with Trabzonspor.

     

  • Besiktas joins race for Raheem Lawal

    Besiktas joins race for Raheem Lawal

    Turkish League leaders, Besiktas has joined the chase for Super Eagles midfielder, Raheem Lawal, africanFootball.com reports.

    The former Adana Demirspor and Mersin Idmuyurdu player has already had an offer from Sivasspor rejected by Eskisehirspor.

    The former Athletico Beleares midfielder has been in superb form for Eskisehirspor and may soon be lured out of the club, who lost in the Turkish Cup final last year.

    However, a close confidant of Lawal has said the player  may leave his club this winter transfer window.

    “Raheem (Lawal) may not play for Eskisehirspor after this window. Besiktas may be his next destination as the club is interested in him. A top German team has shown interest in him as well,” he told africanFootball.com.