17 May 2000 - Turkish Delight

On 17 May 2000, Galatasaray won their first European trophy, defeating Arsenal on penalties to win the UEFA Cup Final.

Despite the presence of several prolific goalscorers--including three-time Süper Lig golden boot winner Hakan Şükür and Arsenal's Thierry Henry--and gifted playmakers like Gheorghe Hagi and Dennis Bergkamp, the first half was a dour affair that saw the referee issue four yellow cards (two to each team). The second half was little better, as both sides squandered chances and the referee issued four more cautions (three to Galatasaray and one to Arsenal).

Arsenal gained an advantage in extra time as Hagi received a straight red card for punching Tony Adams. The Gunners pressed forward for the match-winner and almost got it, but Galatasaray's Brazilian keeper Taffarel denied Henry's point-blank header.

In penalties, Galatasaray's first three shooters converted, while two of Arsenal's shots were denied by the woodwork. With the Turks leading the shootout 3-1, center back Gheorghe Popescu's kick beat David Seaman for the win.

Galatasaray went on to beat Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup that summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, returned to a European cup final exactly six years later, losing to Barcelona in the Champions League.

13 March 2001 - The City Of Fights

On 13 March 2001, Paris Saint-Germain and Galatasaray faced off in a Champions League match marred by violence in the stands.

The clubs were at the Parc des Princes for their second meeting of the tournament's second group stage, with the Turks having won the first meeting, 1-0. It was the group's last match day and Galatasaray were challenging for the top spot, while PSG were looking for their first win of the round.

They staked their claim early, with Brazilian international striker Christian giving them the lead in the third minute, then doubling it 24 minutes later. Frustrated by their team's performance, the traveling Galatasaray supporters began voicing their displeasure. Their words turned to actions in the second half, as they began ripping up seats and throwing them into the crowd. Fights erupted across the stadium and several bloodied supporters spilled out of the stands.

In the 59th minute, referee Vitor Manuel Pereira stopped play and directed the players to leave the pitch as officials debated whether to call the match off. But after a 20-minute intermission, they decided to continue and the match ended 2-0.

UEFA subsequently fined both clubs--£410,000 to PSG and £82,000 to Galatasaray--and also banned PSG from playing at the Parc des Princes for their next three European matches.


PSG-Galatasaray 13 mars 2001 by cimbomparis

7 April 1983 - The First Time France And Germany Agreed On Anything

On 7 April 1983, future two-time French Player of the Year Franck Ribéry was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer. A winger who prefers to play on the left, he is considered by many to be one of the leading French players of his generation, with former French superstar Zinedine Zidane calling him "the jewel of French football."

Ribéry began his professional career in 2000 with his hometown team, Boulogne, then in the fourth division. After only two seasons, which saw Boulogne promoted only to be relegated again, he moved to couple of lower-division teams (Olympique Alès, 2002-03, and Stade Brestois, 2003-04) before landing in Ligue 1 with Metz in 2004. His initial stay in the French top flight was brief, as he left after only six months due to a contract dispute, ending up at Istanbul's Galatasaray in January 2005.

His stay in Turkey was equally brief, as after winning the 2005 Turkish Cup, he returned to Ligue 1 to play for Marseille. Although he had three years left on his contract with Galatasaray, he petitioned FIFA to void it, claiming that he had not been paid and that a Galatasaray director had threatened him with a baseball bat. The Turkish club denied the charges, but FIFA decided the matter in Ribéry's favor.

In two seasons at Marseille, he established himself as one of France's most dynamic and creative players, helping the club to capture the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup, then reach the back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 2006 and 2007, leading to his first French Player of the Year Award. His success in Marseille sparked a bidding war among several European clubs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid, but Germany's Bayern Munich eventually signed him in 2007 for €25 million.

At Bayern, Ribéry was instrumental in helping restore the club to its former glory, securing a double in 2007-08 by winning the German Cup and the league. For his role, Ribéry was named both the 2008 French Player of the Year and the 2008 German Footballer of the Year. He is currently still playing for Bayern, who are leading the Bundesliga and have advanced to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

28 August 2000 - Super Mario's Golden Goal

On 28 August 2000, Galatasaray defeated Real Madrid, 1-2, in the UEFA Super Cup before a crowd of 15,000 at Stade Louis II in Monaco.

Established in 1972 as the European Super Cup, the competition originally featured the holder of the European Cup against the holder of the European Cup-Winners' Cup and was played over two legs. Starting in 1998, however, the cup was contested in a single match at a neutral venue. The Cup-Winners' Cup was discontinued in 1999, so the 2000 Final was played between the UEFA Champions League holders (Real Madrid) and the UEFA Cup holders (Galatasaray).

The Turkish side drew first blood with a penalty kick in the 41st minute, as Real defender Iván Campo was flagged for fouling left back Hakan Ünsal in the box and the Turkish side's new signing, Brazilian forward Mario Jardel, converted the spot kick. Real captain Raúl scored an equalizing penalty in the 79th minute after Galatasaray midfielder Suat Kaya was called for a handball.

The match went into extra time, where Jardel decided it by slotting the golden goal past Iker Casillas from eight meters away in the 103rd minute.

2 August 1967 - Cracking The Istanbul Cartel

On 2 August 1967, Trabzonspor Kulübü was founded in the Turkish city of Trabzon.

The club formed from the merger of several rival Trabzon clubs, including fierce local rivals Idmangücü and Idmanocaĝi. The merger was not voluntary, but was forced by the Turkish Football Federation, who demanded the unification of all clubs within the same city in order to strengthen the teams and increase the competitiveness of Turkish football.

Originally admitted into the Turkish Second Division, Trabzonspor earned promotion to the top tier Süper Lig for the 1974-75 season. They were successful almost immediately, winning their first league title in 1975-76, becoming the first team outside Istanbul to do so. They finished either first or second for the next eight seasons.

Trabzonspor won their last league title in 1983-84, but remain one of Turkey's "Big Four" clubs, along with the Istanbul triumvirate of Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş J.K. They finished the 2008-09 season in third place.