Sports
Boey on brink of 100 Galatasaray appearances as title push continues
French fullback Sacha Boey stands on the brink of a century in Galatasaray colors, a milestone that underlines one of the club’s most remarkable modern success stories.
League leaders Galatasaray will host Antalyaspor on Saturday in a match that could move them another decisive step toward the Süper Lig title, and if coach Okan Buruk includes Boey in the lineup, the French defender will make his 100th appearance for the Istanbul giants.
Boey’s journey with Galatasaray has unfolded across two separate spells, each shaping his rise into one of Europe’s most sought-after right-backs.
Signed from Stade Rennais FC ahead of the 2021-22 season, the then-young defender arrived with promise but little fanfare. Within months, he had become one of the team’s most energetic and reliable performers.
Between 2021 and 2024, Boey made 83 appearances for Galatasaray across all competitions, featuring in the Süper Lig, UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Turkish Cup. His relentless pace, aggressive defending and attacking runs quickly made him a fan favorite at RAMS Park.
His breakout campaign came during the 2023-24 season, when his performances in both domestic and European competition attracted attention from across the continent. Boey’s displays against elite opposition eventually earned him a move to German powerhouse FC Bayern Munich in a deal reportedly worth 30 million euros plus bonuses.
After spending nearly two years in Germany, the 25-year-old returned to Galatasaray on loan with a purchase option in February, reigniting a connection that never truly faded between player and club.
Since rejoining the reigning Turkish champions, Boey has featured in 16 matches across all competitions, including 10 Süper Lig games, four Champions League fixtures and two Turkish Cup appearances.
He has also scored twice during that stretch, continuing to provide an attacking edge from defense.
Across his 99 appearances for Galatasaray, Boey has scored six goals, but perhaps none carried more personal significance than the first of his professional career.
That moment arrived in August 2021 during a UEFA Europa League qualifier against St Johnstone F.C., when he marked both his club debut and first senior career goal in a 1-1 draw.
His first season in Istanbul brought 19 appearances as he adapted to Turkish football, but the following campaign marked a turning point.
Under Buruk, Boey became a key figure in the side that captured the 2022-23 Süper Lig title, the first league championship of his professional career.
The next season elevated him to another level. Boey shined in Champions League competition, showcasing his defensive maturity and explosive athleticism against Europe’s elite, performances that ultimately opened the door to Bayern Munich.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has indicated that the Turkish Grand Prix could return to the Formula One calendar in 2026 as a contingency option, as the sport continues to manage disruptions caused by the cancellation of key Middle East races.
In remarks to media outlets including RacingNews365, Ben Sulayem said the FIA and Formula 1 are actively working through several calendar scenarios after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were removed from the schedule earlier this season.
The priority, he stressed, is maintaining a workable season structure while protecting logistical stability for teams and personnel.
One option under discussion involves shifting the calendar around the Qatar Grand Prix by approximately one week.
That adjustment could create space to reposition races within the affected segment of the season without forcing wider structural changes.
However, officials acknowledge that such a reshuffle depends on complex freight movements, circuit availability, and team travel constraints across a tightly packed global schedule.
If that approach cannot be implemented, Türkiye has emerged as a credible fallback.
A potential return would center on Intercity Istanbul Park, a circuit that last hosted Formula 1 in 2021 and has remained absent from the calendar since.
Known for its fast, technical layout and demanding Turn 8 sequence, the venue has long been regarded as a strong alternative option due to its infrastructure and regional accessibility.
For a 2026 comeback to be possible, the circuit would need to complete FIA Grade 1 homologation requirements and satisfy operational benchmarks covering safety systems, paddock readiness, and broadcast infrastructure.
Those evaluations are currently part of ongoing discussions between FIA officials and Turkish organizers.
The idea of a Turkish return is also tied to broader calendar pressure created by the reduction of races this season.
The original 24-race 2026 schedule has effectively been trimmed to 22 events following the removal of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving a significant gap in the early part of the year and forcing Formula 1 to explore replacements or reshuffles rather than simple postponements.
The cancellations were triggered by regional instability and security concerns in the Middle East, with FIA leadership consistently emphasizing that safety remains the overriding factor in all decisions.
Ben Sulayem reiterated that position, noting that motorsport considerations cannot outweigh broader risks when determining whether events proceed.
At present, Formula 1 continues its season with confirmed races including Miami and Canada following the opening rounds in Australia, China, and Japan.
However, the long-term structure of the calendar remains under review, with no final decision yet taken on whether any replacement venues will be formally added.
Any inclusion of Türkiye would require agreement across multiple stakeholders, including the FIA, Formula 1 management, teams, and promoters, all of whom are balancing competitive integrity with concerns over travel strain and schedule density.
Further clarity is expected in the coming weeks as discussions continue and logistical assessments progress, with Istanbul now positioned as one of the leading contingency options should the current calendar gap remain unresolved.
Fenerbahçe head to Konya on Saturday with the margins at the top of the Süper Lig tightening and little room left for error, as the Istanbul giants try to keep their title hopes mathematically alive while securing their grip on a strong second-place finish.
The Round 33 meeting at Medaş Konya Büyükşehir Belediye Stadium brings together two sides operating at different ends of ambition.
Fenerbahçe arrive as title challengers sitting second on 70 points, chasing a four-point gap to leaders Galatasaray, with only a handful of fixtures remaining.
Konyaspor, meanwhile, sit ninth on 40 points, safe from relegation but without realistic European targets, playing largely for pride and late-season positioning.
Fenerbahçe’s season has been defined by volatility and firepower in equal measure.
They have produced one of the league’s most productive attacks with 71 goals in 32 matches, underpinned by periods of dominance that included a 25-match unbeaten stretch earlier in the campaign.
Yet their momentum has been repeatedly disrupted by managerial turnover and emotional setbacks, most recently a heavy derby defeat to Galatasaray that triggered another change in the dugout.
Zeki Murat Göle now leads the side on an interim basis after the departures of Jose Mourinho and Domenico Tedesco in a turbulent season on and off the pitch.
Even so, their attacking structure remains among the most dangerous in the league.
Anderson Talisca has been central to their scoring output with around 19 league goals, while Marco Asensio has added creativity and decisive final-third influence.
Wide and midfield support from Kerem Aktürkoğlu, combined with control from players like Ismail Yüksek and defensive authority from Milan Skriniar, gives Fenerbahçe a squad built to dominate possession phases and break down structured defenses.
At the back, Ederson provides elite-level stability in goal, often allowing the team to defend high without losing balance.
Konyaspor, under Ilhan Palut, have built a different identity, rooted in organisation and disciplined home performances.
Their attack, led by Blaz Kramer with support from Jackson Muleka and creative midfield work from Pedrinho, has been functional rather than explosive, averaging just over 1.3 goals per game.
Defensively, they concede around 1.4 per match, a profile that has kept them competitive but exposed against elite opposition.
Still, their home form has been one of their key strengths, with spells of unbeaten runs at Konya that suggest they can disrupt rhythm when defensively compact and emotionally engaged.
The historical balance between the sides leans heavily toward Fenerbahçe.
Recent league meetings have often been one-sided, including a 4-0 win earlier in the season, with Talisca among the scorers in a dominant display.
Even so, Konyaspor have occasionally produced isolated resistance, including a cup win in April 2026, a reminder that they can punish lapses when chances arise.
Tactically, this matchup sets up as a clear control-versus-counter dynamic.
Fenerbahçe are expected to dictate possession, push full-backs high, and overload central zones through Talisca and Asensio’s movement between the lines.
Their objective will be to score early, settle the tempo, and avoid the kind of transitional vulnerability that has occasionally cost them points in tighter away fixtures.
Konyaspor’s best route lies in compression and patience.
They are likely to sit deep in structured blocks, reduce space between lines, and look for quick vertical breaks or set-piece opportunities to shift momentum.
Their chances of success depend heavily on surviving the opening pressure and capitalising on any Fenerbahçe defensive overcommitment.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday knocked out Bayern Munich with a controversial 1-1 draw in their semi-final second leg that sealed a 6-5 aggregate victory and the Champions League final against Arsenal.
PSG exploded on the counter less than three minutes in and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele put Luis Enrique’s visitors ahead on the night and two goals up in the tie.
PSG largely succeeded in subduing Bayern’s attacking threat, despite Harry Kane’s stoppage-time goal.
On their return to Munich’s Allianz Arena, the scene of their greatest triumph against Inter Milan in last year’s final, PSG once again emphasized their excellence in a competition they coveted without success for so long.
The French giants will be favorites to lift the trophy for a second successive season when they face Premier League leaders Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.
The French giants are hoping to become only the second back-to-back winners since 1990, after Real Madrid.
Bayern were angered by some first-half refereeing decisions but were largely toothless in attack.
The six-time European champions have still not reached the final since beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece in Lisbon.
Both sides were playing their 52nd match of the season in all competitions, not even counting last summer’s Club World Cup. but only the hosts looked weary.
So dangerous in the first leg, Bayern were surprisingly stodgy in attack, with Michael Olise in particular having an off night.
In the midst of a record-breaking season, Bayern’s fourth defeat in all competitions will sting for a club set to wonder what might have been.
Dembele scores early
With Bayern already Bundesliga champions and PSG also on track for the Ligue 1 title, both sides heavily rotated their line-ups in the weekend’s league fixtures.
But both teams only made one change to their starting XIs compared to last week’s spectacle in Paris. Only PSG’s was forced, with Fabian Ruiz in for the injured Achraf Hakimi.
The high-octane first leg, won 5-4 by PSG, was widely lauded as among the best matches in the competition’s history and Wednesday’s game offered more of the same early.
Ruiz, starting his first European match since January, set Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left flank with an excellent through ball.
The Georgian latched onto the pass, blazed past his marker before cutting back for the perfectly placed Dembele to slam home.
Bayern conceded after just 36 seconds against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and fought back to win but seemed stunned by the early goal this time around.
Olise, Kane and Joshua Kimmich all mislaid passes in the opening half-hour, ending promising attacks.
Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro claiming a penalty on the half-hour mark when Vitinha’s clearance hit Joao Neves’s outstretched arm in the box, but their appeals were waved away.
The home players had already been left incensed when PSG full-back Nuno Mendes was not shown a second yellow card for handball.
PSG went inches from scoring a second but Manuel Neuer tipped a close-range Neves header just wide of the post.
The home team rediscovered their rhythm just before the break, with Jamal Musiala forcing an excellent low save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and blasting over the bar.
PSG showed a more measured side to their game in the second half, sitting back to absorb Bayern pressure while never losing their own threat on the counter.
Neuer made fine second-half saves from Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue to keep Bayern in the tie.
The Bavarians dominated possession and territory but could not break through until Kane scored for a seventh straight Champions League match in stoppage time.
There was time for the restart, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.
The Europa League semifinals reach their decisive night on Thursday, with four teams chasing two places in the final and little separating them after tense first-leg encounters.
At Villa Park, Aston Villa return home needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Nottingham Forest in an all-English showdown that has tilted delicately in the visitors’ favor. The winner will advance to the final in Istanbul later this month, where either Braga or Freiburg await.
Villa’s European story has been steadily building. After a Conference League semifinal in 2024 and a Champions League quarterfinal last season, this campaign offers a chance to reach their first continental final since lifting the European Cup in 1982.
To do so, Unai Emery’s side must respond after a flat first-leg display settled by Chris Wood’s penalty, awarded following a handball by Lucas Digne.
Recent domestic form raises questions.
Villa have lost three straight league games, including a subdued defeat to Tottenham that exposed the limits of squad rotation.
Yet Europe tells a different story. Nine consecutive home wins in continental competition, along with a near-constant scoring run, reinforce Villa Park’s reputation as a stronghold. Emery’s track record only adds weight.
The four-time Europa League winner has not lost a two-legged tie in this competition for more than a decade, progressing through 22 straight matchups.
History also leans Villa’s way. They are unbeaten in their last 10 home games against Forest, a run stretching back to 1994. But this version of Forest arrives transformed.
Since Vitor Pereira took charge in February, Forest have surged into form, stringing together a 10-game unbeaten run that has lifted them clear of relegation trouble and into genuine contention for a European final. Their latest statement came in a 3-0 win over Chelsea, where Taiwo Awoniyi struck twice around a penalty from Igor Jesus.
Pereira has already guided Forest past Fenerbahce, Midtjylland and Porto to reach their first European semifinal in over four decades. Their pedigree remains strong. Forest have won two European Cups and rarely falter after taking a first-leg lead, losing just once in their last 13 such ties.
Villa will turn to Ollie Watkins to lead the response, supported by the in-form Morgan Rogers, who has been directly involved in five goals in six home games in this competition. John McGinn is expected back, while injuries continue to limit options in midfield.
Forest’s attacking threat remains sharp, with Igor Jesus leading the competition in away goal involvement and total shots. Wood is set to spearhead the attack again, while concerns linger over Morgan Gibbs-White after a heavy collision last weekend.
Elsewhere, the tie between Freiburg and Braga remains finely poised, though the German side must overturn a 2-1 deficit after conceding a stoppage-time winner in Portugal. Mario Dorgeles struck late to hand Braga control, canceling out earlier efforts from Vincenzo Grifo and Demir Ege Tıknaz.
For Freiburg, the path is clear but demanding. Their domestic campaign has faded, leaving the Europa League as their only route back into elite European competition. Encouragingly, they return to a venue where they have won 10 straight continental matches, scoring freely and conceding little.
Julian Schuster’s side halted a losing streak with a weekend draw, but injuries continue to mount, including a significant blow with Yuito Suzuki ruled out.
Braga arrive with belief, even if recent form has been uneven. Carlos Vicens’s team have lost just once in nine matches and boast a strong Europa League record, losing only twice in their last 20 games in the competition. Their composure under pressure was evident in the previous round, where they overturned a deficit against Real Betis.
However, the visitors are also stretched. Captain Ricardo Horta remains sidelined, joining a growing list of absentees that could test their depth in a high-stakes away leg.
Dursun Özbek is closing in on a place just beneath club founder Ali Sami Yen in the history of Galatasaray, with another term set to turn a successful presidency into a defining era.
The 75-year-old will stand unopposed at the May 23 general assembly, effectively clearing the path for a fourth spell in charge.
If he completes the next two-year mandate, Özbek will become the second-longest-serving president in the club’s 121-year history.
Only Ali Sami Yen, who led Galatasaray for nearly 14 years, would remain ahead of him.
Özbek currently sits fifth on that list, having already accumulated roughly six years and seven months in office, but the gap above him is now within reach.
Longevity, though, is only part of the story. Özbek’s presidency has been defined by sustained success across multiple fronts, with football providing the clearest measure of his impact.
His first term began in May 2015, when he succeeded Duygun Yarsuvat.
Within 48 hours, Galatasaray secured the Süper Lig title, handing Özbek an immediate boost.
That opening spell delivered five football trophies in total, including two Turkish Cups and two Super Cups, establishing early momentum even as the club navigated financial and structural challenges.
His return to power in June 2022 marked a turning point. Galatasaray re-emerged as the dominant force in Turkish football, winning three Süper Lig titles in quick succession, including back-to-back championships that underlined both squad depth and administrative stability.
A Turkish Cup and a Super Cup followed, pushing Özbek’s football haul to 10 trophies across his three terms.
That tally places him second in club history behind Faruk Süren, whose presidency between 1996 and 2001 yielded 14 trophies, including European silverware.
Özbek’s influence extends beyond football. During his first term, Galatasaray’s men’s basketball team, led by Ergin Ataman, captured the 2016 EuroCup, the club’s first major European title in that discipline.
Years later, the women’s volleyball team added a CEV Cup triumph, completing a rare achievement.
Under Özbek, Galatasaray became the only Turkish club to win European trophies in football, basketball and volleyball, a milestone that reflects a broader sporting vision.
Financial restructuring has been another pillar of his leadership.
Özbek has leaned heavily on real estate development to generate revenue and ease the club’s long-standing economic pressures.
The Riva “Düşler Vadisi” project alone has already produced substantial income, with projections suggesting total returns could approach $400 million once all phases are completed.
Similar revenue-sharing models in Florya and redevelopment efforts in Mecidiyeköy have further strengthened the club’s financial base, turning land assets into long-term income streams.
At the same time, Özbek has pushed forward with infrastructure projects aimed at modernizing the club’s sporting environment.
The Kemerburgaz Metin Oktay Facilities represent a significant upgrade for the football team, with the first phase completed and additional sections planned for youth development and the women’s side.
The ambitious Aslantepe Valley project, meanwhile, is designed to support amateur branches and expand Galatasaray’s operational capacity, with a large-scale complex expected to take shape over the next few years.
There is also the prospect of further silverware.
A win in an upcoming league fixture could deliver Özbek a fifth Süper Lig title as president and an 11th football trophy overall, tightening his grip on second place in the club’s all-time rankings.
Fenerbahçe’s former president, Aziz Yıldırım, has formally declared his candidacy for the club’s top office, setting the stage for a high-stakes extraordinary general assembly on June 6-7, 2026, in a move that immediately reshapes the club’s political and sporting landscape.
In a written statement shared through Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday, Yıldırım framed his return as a duty-driven response to internal instability and growing pressure from supporters.
He described the moment as pivotal, linking his candidacy to Fenerbahçe’s upcoming 120th anniversary season, which he portrayed as both a symbolic milestone and a rare opportunity for institutional reset.
Call for unity
At the heart of Yıldırım’s message was a direct appeal for consolidation across competing camps.
He urged unity not only among supporters but also among rival candidates already in the race, including Barış Göktürk and Hakan Safi, as well as other expected contenders.
Rather than framing the contest as a political showdown, Yıldırım positioned it as a moment that demands cooperation.
He argued that Fenerbahçe’s future cannot be shaped by division, insisting that the club’s challenges require a blend of institutional experience and younger leadership energy. His message reflected an attempt to soften the tone of an already crowded and competitive election, which is expected to draw over 25,000 voting members.
Long legacy
Yıldırım’s candidacy carries significant historical weight.
He led Fenerbahçe from 1998 to 2018, one of the longest presidencies in Turkish sports history, overseeing a period marked by both sporting success and deep institutional transformation.
During his tenure, the club expanded its commercial structure, modernized infrastructure, and strengthened its financial base.
These years also included intense European campaigns and domestic title races that helped shape Fenerbahçe’s modern identity.
However, his presidency was also closely associated with one of Turkish football’s most controversial episodes, the 2011 match-fixing investigation known as the “3 July process.”
Yıldırım and several club officials were implicated during the proceedings, though they were later acquitted in retrials, a legal arc that continues to influence public perception of his legacy.
Return shaped by recent turbulence
Yıldırım’s latest move follows a series of recent political and symbolic reappearances within the club structure.
In 2024, he re-entered the presidential race in a highly watched contest against current leadership figures, and in 2025 he publicly supported the idea of generational transition, suggesting younger leadership should take a greater role in shaping the club’s future.
His 2026 return, however, signals a shift in tone.
Rather than stepping back, he now argues that stability and experience are urgently needed, particularly as Fenerbahçe continues to struggle with a prolonged Süper Lig title drought dating back to 2014 and increasing financial pressure across its multi-sport structure.
Turning point
The election itself was triggered after former president Sadettin Saran called for an extraordinary general assembly following a series of disappointing results, including a heavy derby defeat to Galatasaray.
Saran later confirmed he would not seek re-election, leaving the race open and intensifying competition among potential successors.
The timing is especially significant.
Fenerbahçe are entering a decisive phase not only in football but across basketball and other sporting departments, while also navigating financial obligations and long-term strategic planning.
Decisions made by the incoming leadership will influence European competition ambitions, squad planning, and structural reforms.
Experience and reconciliation
Yıldırım’s statement attempted to position him as both a stabilizing figure and a unifying force.
He repeatedly emphasized that Fenerbahçe’s strength has historically come from cohesion, not fragmentation, and suggested that the club’s next chapter should not be defined by internal rivalry.
By extending an open invitation to rivals and potential challengers, he reframed the election as a collective project rather than a winner-takes-all contest.
-
Politics3 days agoProvocation leads to delay in former Istanbul mayor’s corruption trial
-
Politics3 days agoItalian experts highlight Türkiye remains important partner for EU
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoMinister Ersoy met with Barış Manço’s son Doğukan Manço about the current situation of the museum-house in Moda.
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoBreaking news | ‘Peace Process Coordination’ proposal from MHP leader Bahçeli: If there is a status gap in İmralı, it should be addressed
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoSharing from Minister Göktaş regarding the Family and Youth Fund: “We will continue to support our youth”
-
Economy2 days agoIndonesian economy tops estimates to grow 5.6% in Q1
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoBINDING SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED – Official Announcement News
-
Sports2 days agoSönmez climbs to career-high No. 65, closing in on Turkish record