Bursaspor gearing up to take Fener's place in Champions League |
 Fenerbahçe has been banned from European football competitions for the second time in three seasons and Beşiktaş for the second time in as many seasons after the two İstanbul giants were penalized by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body (CDB) for their involvement in match-fixing in the 2010-11 season.
“One man's misfortune is another man's gain,” which means that the absence of Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş is a boon to some Super League teams which otherwise could not have dreamed of playing in Europe this season.
Bursaspor, which finished a distant fourth in the 2012-13 Super League and qualified for the third qualifying round of the Europa League next season, is very likely to be brought in to fill the vacuum created after the ban on Fenerbahçe in the Champions League third round.
Fifth-placed Kayserispor will be brought in to fill the void created by the absence of Beşiktaş in the Europa League playoff stage and number six Kasımpaşa will fill in for “promoted” Bursaspor in the third qualifying round.
These developments took the Bursaspor Green Crocs, in particular, by surprise, and the local Bursa media are already having a field day.
“We are in Champions League: A lottery for Crocs from UEFA,” trumpeted the Olay (Event) newspaper.
“Bursa on verge of Champions League,” was the banner headline on the Hakimiyet (Sovereignty) daily.
“Champions League door opened for Bursaspor,” said the Yeni Dönem (New Era) daily while the Kent (City) newspaper read “Great opportunity for Crocs.”
New Bursaspor coach Hikmet Karaman has not made any statements yet, but he must certainly be preparing hard for the tough UEFA Champions League task ahead.
In the meantime a diehard Bursaspor fan named Bülent Özışık threw a “rice party” for friends in his vicinity after which they celebrated and danced in scenes of wild delight.
Fenerbahçe, which finished second in the domestic Spor Toto Super League this past season (2012-13), would have qualified for the third round of the UEFA Champions League next season, while Super League runner-up Beşiktaş would have been eligible to play in UEFA's Europa League.
But the Yellow Canaries, as Fenerbahçe is popularly called, have been thrown out of the next three UEFA club competitions, starting with next season's Champions League. UEFA said the sanction for the third competition is deferred “for a probationary period of five years.”
Beşiktaş received a one-year ban stemming from charges of match-fixing relating to the 2011 Turkish Cup final, which the Black Eagles won on penalties over city rival İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor -- a team that has now been relegated to the PTT League 1 (second division).
Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş have had recent run-ins with the European football governing body UEFA.
Fenerbahçe was banished from the 2011-12 Champions League after the initial fixing allegations were made. The İstanbul club sued UEFA but later withdrew the case.
Beşiktaş was banned from the UEFA Europa League this past season over its finances.
It will be a great opportunity for 2009-10 champion Bursaspor to play in the Champions League again and for Kayserispor and Kasımpaşa to take part in the Europa League.
But how these teams, whose performances are below par even in the domestic league, will fare in big-time European football poses more questions than answers.
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