DORTMUND/MUNICH: Tens of thousands of Turkiye fans draped in the country’s red flag celebrated ahead of the country’s first match of Euro 2024 against neighbor Georgia in Dortmund on Tuesday, creating a festival atmosphere akin to a host nation to welcome the team.
Almost 3 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany, following a wave of official migration that began in the 1960s. The close ties are reflected in both the German and Turkish football teams. Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan has Turkish roots, while Turkiye’s midfielder Salih Ozcan, was born in Cologne and plays for Borussia Dortmund.
Ozcan has said the team needs to capitalize on the large Turkish population and passionate support in Germany.
Heavy rain and forecasts of thunderstorms closed Dortmund’s 25,000 capacity fan zone and other giant viewing spots in the cities of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, but fans en route to the stadium made good on their promise to make some noise. Berlin’s two fan zones were also closed due to bad weather.
“Our hearts beat for Turkiye, for home. Of course, Germany is also home for us, but we are Turks,” said fan Cengiz Catalpinar.
Mehmet Guelcicek had driven for two days from Zurich in Switzerland to reach Dortmund and watch the match.
“We are Turks and always there with the team.”
Many Turks were also celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha, when typically, animals such as sheep are sacrificed.
Ugur Aydin walked with an inflatable sheep.
“We saved him from the Eid sacrifice festival and are celebrating our own festival today with a 3 point win over Georgia. And hopefully the same again for the next two games, against Portugal and the Czech Republic,” he said.
Turkiye begin their Euro 2024 campaign against newcomers Georgia knowing a winning start in one of the tournament’s weaker groups would give them a great chance of making the knockout stages after disappointing last time around.
In hot sunshine in Munich in southern Germany fans began to stream into the city’s fan zone.
“This is a big deal for us and it is great to be in Germany for the tournament, to join with the Turkish community here. We are the second hosts,” said Erdem Sakinc, a 21-year-old student from Ankara studying in Germany.
Georgia, meanwhile, are playing in their first ever major tournament and are the clear underdogs
Georgia fan Veronika Gogokhia said, “This is a historical moment for our country and our team. This is a debut and the whole of Georgia, all Georgians all over the world are really excited,” she said.
Later on Tuesday at the stadium around 40 fans from each set of supporters were involved in brief scuffles and police moved in between them, a Reuters reporter inside the stadium said.
Germany’s Turks give ‘host nation’ welcome to Turkiye
https://arab.news/98gpv
Germany’s Turks give ‘host nation’ welcome to Turkiye
- Ozcan has said the team needs to capitalize on the large Turkish population and passionate support in Germany
- “Our hearts beat for Turkiye, for home. Of course, Germany is also home for us, but we are Turks,” said fan Cengiz Catalpinar
Man United held to 1-1 draw at home by struggling West Ham
- Man United are eighth in the standings on 22 points, while West Ham remain 18th on 12 points, two adrift of Leeds United in 17th spot
MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United missed the chance to go fifth in the Premier League when they were held 1-1 by West Ham United at Old Trafford on Thursday, a result which keeps the visitors in the relegation zone.
After a scrappy goalless opening half, the hosts took the lead in the 58th minute through Diogo Dalot but West Ham’s Soungoutou Magassa equalized seven minutes from time which led to boos from the home fans at the final whistle.
“Angry and frustrated, that’s it,” Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said.
“We are really inconsistent but if you look at the goal (we conceded), we have a long ball, we have everything under control, we need to do better.
“We knew set pieces would be a problem with the difference in height in the team but we could do it. We could maintain the ball after the first goal and again we lost two points.”
Man United are eighth in the standings on 22 points, while West Ham remain 18th on 12 points, two adrift of Leeds United in 17th spot.
West Ham had the best of the opening half-hour, played at a pedestrian pace, but never really threatened before the hosts began to take control.
We are really inconsistent but if you look at the goal (we conceded), we have a long ball, we have everything under control, we need to do better
Ruben Amorim
Bryan Mbeumo played a one-two from a short corner before trying a looping shot from outside the area which sent West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola scrambling to tip it over the bar.
Amad Diallo put a ball across the box which Joshua Zirkzee sent goalwards with his thigh and Aaron Wan-Bissaka headed off the line, and seconds later Bruno Fernandes’s effort skimmed the outside of the post.
Wan-Bissaka was a rock at the heart of West Ham’s defense against his former club, putting in crucial challenges and keeping his side level going in at the break.
Magassa shot into the side netting early in the second half before Man United found the opening goal. An attempted shot from Casemiro took a deflection and the ball fell kindly for Dalot almost on the penalty spot and he sent his shot on the turn past Areola.
“We are disappointed. At 1-0 with 30 minutes to go we have to control the game more, especially at Old Trafford,” Dalot told Sky Sports.
“We cannot get as anxious as we got after the goal. Maybe we got sloppy with the ball possession. We had the game there. We think it is down to us rather than credit to West Ham.
“It is a good feeling. Every time you get the opportunity to score a goal for a club like this is amazing, especially at the Stretford End.
“But I would change it for the three points.”
The game looked to be petering out to a narrow win for the home side, with West Ham never really looking like finding an equalizer until Jarrod Bowen’s flicked header from a corner was cleared off the line by Noussair Mazraoui and Magassa smashed home.
“It felt amazing. We played a good game, and everyone fought,” Magassa told Sky Sports.
“I am so happy to score my first goal in the Premier League.”
Both teams sprung to life in the final minutes in search of a winner and Fernandes was guilty of a couple of late misses.
