Champions League: A first ever duel between two Turkish head coaches
Turkish media report that the 25 November Champions League clash between Shakhtar Donetsk and Fenerbahçe will be the first to pit two Turkish head coaches against each other.
The Champions League is set to experience a historic first. According to Anadolu Ajansı, A Spor and Ajansspor, the match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Fenerbahçe, counting for the 5th matchday of the league phase, will see two Turkish head coaches face off for the first time in the competition's history.
A first-ever duel
This encounter, scheduled for 25 November, will pit Arda Turan, at the helm of Shakhtar Donetsk, against Emre Belözoğlu, recently appointed head coach of Fenerbahçe. According to Ajansspor, it is precisely the arrival of Emre Belözoğlu as head coach of the Istanbul club that makes this face-off possible.
The three Turkish media outlets agree on this unprecedented nature. A Spor describes it as a landmark event for the competition, while Anadolu Ajansı stresses that it is a first in the history of the Champions League.
A particular context
This confrontation comes as Fenerbahçe have just changed their head coach. Emre Belözoğlu, whose appointment is reported by Ajansspor, will lead his first European match against a team coached by Arda Turan, himself a former player who has been through several major European clubs.
Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian club, will therefore host Fenerbahçe in this 5th matchday. The two Turkish coaches, well-known figures in football, will thus meet on the European stage in a duel that promises to be closely watched.
