My apologies ahead of time if this article may go against the classic trend of Fenerbahce's "Foreign first, Turkish later" transfer policies, but maybe it's time we finally lay this mentality to rest... - at least for Semih that is.

If you were to sit and talk rationally to your average Fenerbahce fan, you would have probably come across the 'foreigner' topic that has stirred debate over the years. Historically, we have loved foreigners. It has always been looked highly upon the Fenerbahce faithful if the club can attain the services of a half-reputable foreign player, rather than an accomplished no-name domestic talent. This reputation has been following the Yellow Canaries for decades now, and we still see it all over the press in Turkey. More times than not, whether it's Fanatik, Fotomac, Maraton, LigTV, NTVspor, Fotospor, Milliyet, Hurriyet, Sabah etc (All Turkish sports and Turkish media outlets) Fenerbahce usually dominates the headlines, especially their 'rumours' during the summer transfer season. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Fenerbahce is the most capable team in Turkey to attract reputable foreigners to the SuperLig.

2. Fenerbahce has historically transferred the biggest names to Turkey, and the names have been getting increasingly bigger, such as Roberto Carlos.

3. Fenerbahce is the most popular team in Turkey. Ratings prioritize over journalistic integrity these days, especially if you're a Turkish outlet.

Well it's time to set this aside and give Semih his chance. From my experience, Semih has demonstrated the patience and loyatly that you rarely see these days in a player. He has been crowned as the goal scoring king this past season, and he attained that by only starting half of the games. He is tied for second in goal scoring in the Euro2008 tournament, mostly scoring as a substitute! He has scored such crucial goals for both Fenerbahce and the Turkish National Team. Most importantly, he plays his heart out no matter if he starts or subs in... what more do you want him to do?

Mateja Kezman is no better than Semih Senturk. Kezman is paid more than Semih and has scored less goals per game. If Kezman were to accept the role of backing Semih up from the bench and took a pay cut, then I personally would be all for it as he adds experience and depth. But with Fenerbahce's persistant: "Foreigners are greater than Turks" mentality, this idea maybe farfetched.

Aragones is the only hope for the forseeable future to end this.

However, the question is, has this trend of foreigners vs. domestic talents helped Fenerbahce grow? If you look at the end result, financially and sportingly - most definitely. But, it would be a crime to myself and the rest of the Fenerbahce community if I weren't to mention that this policy has also hurt Fenerbahce as much as it benefitted it.

2003/2004

Foreign star transfer:

- Pierre van Hooijdonk: Arguably won the Turkish League for Fenerbahce.

Other Foreigners:

- Marcio Nobre: Made an immediate impact on the club by scoring a goal almost every game.

- Stejpan Tomas: Very short lived transfer. Played solid for the team, but showed disrespect to the team by throwing his jersey on the ground after being substituted. 

- Robert Enke: Complete waste of money. Played one match and was released by the club after 1 game. If Fenerbahce were to keep him, it would've had a very negative affect on Volkan.

- Ivailo Petkov: A very average defender, mostly played on the left side.

- Marco Aurelio: Proved to be an undisputed choice for the holding midfield role for years to come.

Domestic Mentions:

- Volkan Demirel:  He performed heroics. The team as a whole only allowed 41 goals all season, the 3rd lowest that season.

- Tuncay Sanli: Continuing his lightning fast uprise to stardom

- Yusuf Simsek: Calm cool playmaker. A very integral part of the championship.

Who did it hurt:

- Serhat Akin: Fenerbahce's first choice striker for 2 seasons gets left in the dust following the transfer of Marcio Nobre. He was formulated to the right side for a couple of seasons to no benefit. Many argue that the difference between him and Nobre are negligable. He had the potential to be one of Turkey's star strikers, but the combination of an unprofessional attitude and lack of playing time didn't allow this to happen.

- Ismail Gulduren: Who once was touted to be a great defender in Turkey, his inconsistant performances + the transfers of Fabio Luciano and Stejpan Tomas only allowed him to collect a few caps under his belt for the season.

- Mahmut Hanefi Erdogdu: After Petkov was transferred it was lights-out for another promising Turkish talent attained from Sakaryaspor

- Ali Gunes: Found less playing time and ended up moving to Besiktas where he literally rotted away.

2004/2005

Foreign Star Transfer:

Alex de Souza: Perhaps one of Turkey's biggest and successful transfers since Gheorghe Hagi. He was a huge player in Fenerbahce's Championship triumph.

Other Foreign Transfers:

Fabiano Lima: A huge bust. 

Nicolas Anelka: Came half way through the season. A very popular transfer, but, his results on the pitch weren't nearly close to the hype and attention he attracted.

Domestic Mentions:

Rustu Recber: Came back to the club after a very unsuccessful stint at Barcelona. Basically took back number 1, sending Volkan back to the bench.

Tuncay Sanli: Continued his rise with another solid season. His heart and passion allowed him to become a favorite at the Sukru Saracoglu.

Deniz Baris: After playing a pivotal role in Genclerbirligi's success in the UEFA cup a season prior, Deniz provided depth for the midfield.

Umit Ozat: Consistant player and captain of the team, started to show his unbelievably versatility by playing the left back role more often.

Who did it hurt:

Serhat Akin: This was the final blow to Serhat's career at Fenerbahce. With Nicolas Anelka's transfer in the books, he was overlooked from the squad completely. 

Murat Hacioglu: With so much depth with forwards, he wasn't even featured on the bench at some matches.

Semih Senturk: Had very impressive scoring records on the reserve squad, but was still only given a hand full of appearances from the benc - despite deserving more starts.

2005/2006

Foreign Star Transfer:

Stephan Appiah: The Ghanian captain transferred to the Yellow Canaries and was a vital component in Fenerbahce's midfield stronghold.

Domestic Mentions:

Tuncay Sanli: The fan favorite continued to terrorize the Turkish SuperLig.

Umit Ozat: Solving out left sided woes for the time being by fully establishing himself as left back.

Serkan Balci: Started to play a more important role on the squad, mostly at the right back position. 

Who did it hurt:

Semih Senturk: Arguably the dawn of his reputation as a 'super-sub', Semih scored 9 goals that season off the bench. Quite remarkable for the youngster. Definitely deserved more playing time than he got. But with Nobre and Anelka up-front, didn't even have a hope.

Selcuk Sahin: Started to feature less in the starting 11 after Stephan Appiah's transfer.

Zafer Biryol: This transfer was a complete waste. He could've done a lot more for an Anadolu club as he was the goal scoring champion the season prior. A total shame to Zafer.

2006/2007

Foreign Star Transfer:

Mateja Kezman: Goal scoring machine from Athletico Madrid. Saw a dip in form after his transfer to Chelsea.

Diego Lugano: Uruguay's and South America's best defender.

Edu Dracena: A solid defender from Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro

Deivid de Souza: Forward from Sporting. Proved to be a goal scorer in Brazil, but lacked consistancy on the European stage.

Domestic Mentions:

Volkan Demirel: Started his rise in form again, continuing on the momentum he gained from last season.

Tumer Metin: Playmaker from Besiktas, had a great season scoring key goals for Fenerbahce in Europe.

Tuncay Sanli: Perhaps his best season under a Fenerbahce uniform.

Deniz Baris: Given a more pivotal role under Zico's new tactic.

Serdar Kulbilge: Featured in the last few matches while Volkan was injured and stepped up in a big way.

Umit Ozat: The captains last season and played very solid.

Who did it hurt:

Selcuk Sahin: Featured very little in Zico's first season in charge.

Serkan Balci: Featured less as well.

Kerim Zegin: After a string of bad performances, he was dropped from the club completely.

Semih Senturk: Once again coming on as a sub and scoring important goals, overshadowed by Kezman's name rather than performances.

Deivid de Souza: Kezman's reputation was bigger than Deivids, despite Deivid scoring more goals per game, and scoring the championship winning goal. Rarely featured in the starting 11 in response to the fans uproar at his form.

Can Arat: Was called up to the national team during the summer. But with Edu Dracena and Diego Lugano's arrival, he saw minimal apps.

2007/2008

Foreign Star Transfer:

Roberto Carlos: The worlds best left back. Played for about half the season until he got injured badly in the champions league.

Domestic Mentions:

Ugur Boral: With Ugur finally playing his natural position at left wing, he put together a string of world class performances in the Champions League. His inconsistancy is holding him back from reaching his full potential.

Gokhan Gonul: Became the undisputed right back at the club following Onder's injury. Has been hailed as the Turkish Cafu

Deniz Baris: Played incredible football until he was injured.

Who did it hurt:

Semih Senturk: Despite his lack of playing time over the years, he has continued to develop into a great striker. This season featuring more in the starting 11, but still was overshadowed by Kezman's name. 

With all of the above in mind, yes, it is true our club has reached a level that many of us would only dream of 10 years ago. Yet, it has come at a cost. Semih Senturk has been featured in the 'who did it hurt' segment of the past 4-5 seasons, which is an absolute shame.

We cannot let the same thing happen to Semih, as to what happened to the other Turkish players that were on this club in the past. This is truly a chance of a lifetime for Fenerbahce, not only to lay to rest the brand of being a foreigner oriented team, but to win a fantastic domestic talent for themselves, and for the rest of Turkish football.

Comments

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perlomental   |30-06-2008 19:13:25 Kezman is #better than Semioh, dont just look at the goals, look at the other performances, but very nive article, thanksCenk

Jemster   |30-06-2008 21:08:46 A very thorough analysis and a rationable debate. Personally I think Aragones will be a Godsend for Semih and will give him the chances and motivation he needs to take his game to the next level.

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