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Swine flu and scandal-hit Galatasaray hosts Manisa
On Wednesday it was announced that young Galatasaray captain Arda Turan had tested positive for H1N1, the virus that causes swine flu. The announcement further said it was very likely that Arda contracted the virus in Italy, where he visited this week for two days, and that the player was undergoing treatment and would stay away from the team until Monday.
The club also announced on Thursday that an official at the Galatasaray Soccer Academy and six players had also tested positive for the swine virus. As a result all U-18, U-17, U-16, U-15 and U-14 training sessions have been canceled until Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Basketball scandal
As everyone was sympathizing with the Galatasaray club over Arda’s ailment, news broke that the Galatasaray basketball team had fielded Cemal Nalga, who had been suspended for five games for fighting, in two of those matches by having him don the jersey of an injured player during their warm-up games in Germany in September.
And the director of basketball at Galatasaray, Yiğit Şardan, held responsible for all this mess, called it quits on Thursday.
Swine flu and the basketball scandal, not soccer, come to mind whenever or wherever Galatasaray is mentioned nowadays. But the swine flu epidemic and the basketball scandal notwithstanding, the league match against Manisaspor must take place this evening. Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard struggled to find solutions to his team’s off-field problems during training sessions this week. The coach carefully avoided the swine flu issue and the basketball scandal and concentrated on the smooth passing game that had given the Lions the league lead earlier in the season.
Playmaker Elano Blumer, midfielder Harry Kewell and winger Caner Erkin, who were on international duty, were all present on Thursday. The Dutchman also worked on the porous defense, which has conceded 16 goals in 12 league matches. vThe only good news is that Ivory Coast winger Abdul Kader Keita has served out his three-match suspension and could be fielded today if he has overcome his jet lag.
The Galatasaray Lions are in second place and therefore it is incumbent upon them to win this evening to keep the pressure on leader Fenerbahçe. And that means Congo striker Shabani Christophe Nonda must score the goals needed for victory.
Furthermore, the Galatasaray defense has to find a way to rein in Manisa’s Nigeria junior international striker Isaac Promise.
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