The name Galatasaray tends to throw up negative images for supporters of Premier League clubs. First there was the fiery encounter at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium between Manchester United and the Turkish giants in 1993, in a hellish atmosphere, burning with hostility and danger.
Seven years later two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by some of the club’s ultras in Istanbul ahead of a crucial UEFA Cup semi-final first leg in 2000.
A month later, Arsenal fans were cursing their luck after a penalty shoot-out defeat to a Gheorge Hagi-inspired Galatasaray in that year’s final – a first ever European trophy for a Turkish club.
Yet Galatasaray had been fairly quiet of late. Prior to their Champions League return this season they had been absent from the glitz and glamour of Europe’s premier club competition since a 2006/07 group stage elimination.
But The Lions have roared back into the headlines in the last two weeks by snaring two players who played winning roles in two of the last three Champions League campaigns.
Many were puzzled when it was announced that Wesley Sneijder would be moving to Istanbul from Inter Milan. The Holland international was thought to have a whole host of potential suitors lining up in the Premier League but no deal materialised before he made the surprise move east.
Marquee signings
Then this week another big name, Didier Drogba put pen to paper on an 18-month deal – although his Chinese club will dispute the legality of the move - little more than six months after he left Chelsea on a high.
Looking at both marquee signings in greater focus, they are not impressive deals from a playing perspective. After a fantastic 2010 which saw Sneijder help Inter to the Champions League and Holland to a World Cup final, the attacking midfielder is in rapid decline which explains why Man United, Liverpool and a host of other clubs turned their noses up at him during the January window.
Likewise Drogba is in the twilight of his career at 34. The ex-Chelsea and Marseille striker also suffered the ignominy of being dropped for Ivory Coast’s second African Nations Cup group match – something that would be unthinkable as recently as last year.
But it seems the transfer coups are designed to put Galatasaray’s name back in lights. A couple of league titles aside, the last decade was not a particularly successful period for the club.
From 2003 to 2011 Galatasaray finished outside the Top Two in theTurkish Super Lig on six occasions, including 8th place in 2010/2011 - their worst performance in 30 years - which proved to be the final straw.
Summer 2011 breathed new life into the club. New chairman, Unal Aysal was elected in a landslide to put an end to boardroom strife, while Galatasaray moved into their new 50,000-seater Turk Telecom Arena (which holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at a stadium).
Aysal then made the most important decision of that summer by reappointing Fatih Terim as head coach. A strict disciplinarian, The Imparator (Emperor in Turkish) had two previous spells at Galatasaray, winning four consecutive league titles between 1996 and 2000, as well as the UEFA Cup. Terim also took the Turkish national team to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 in fine fashion.
Acquisitions
With a new stadium and new manager in place, Galatasaray made key acquistions in the transfer market like Johan Elmander from Bolton, Drogba’s compatriot Emmanuel Eboue from Arsenal, ex-Brazil international Felipe Melo and ex-Liverpool man Albert Riera.
Out went the injury prone Harry Kewell, his Australian team-mate Lucas Neill and former Liverpool full-back Emiliano Insua.
But Galatasaray also profited from a major match-fixing scandal that summer which affected bitter rivals Fenerbahce and Besiktas. Fenerbahce were subsequently thrown out of the 2011/12 Champions League by UEFA.
After a stuttering start to 2011/12, Galatasaray raced away with the title from the mid-way point of the season to claim their first league trophy in four years.
And they have continued this season in a similar vein, sitting top of the Super Lig as they re-establish themselves as Turkey’s biggest club.
The Istanbul giants have also taken a massive step forward in Europe, reaching this season’s Champions League knockout stages after finishing runners-up in Manchester United’s group. They face Germany’s Schalke 04 in the first leg of their last-16 tie later this month with a reasonable chance of progression.
The signings of Sneijder and Drogba – neither player is cup-tied - will give them added experience as they attempt to negotiate their way to the quarter-finals.
But more significantly the revenue generated from shirt sales and greater media attention could see Galatasaray becoming something of a resurging force on the European stage.
