Besiktas blow for Del Bosque

By Türker Tozar

Twice a UEFA Champions League winner as the coach of Real Madrid CF, Vicente Del Bosque's arrival at Besiktas JK in June 2004 augured well for the Turkish side. "I have come here to make Besiktas one of the best sides in Europe," said the Spaniard.

Dramatic failure
He was replaced by former Besiktas player Riza Çalimbay last week following a 3-1 Turkish Cup defeat at home against Konyaspor having failed in his objective. Çalimbay, who had been in charge of Rizespor, inherited a side already out of Europe and 14 points off the pace in the Turkish title race.

Grim start
The season started badly for Del Bosque. The closure of the Inönü stadium for refurbishment and some indifferent results, culminating in a 3-2 defeat by newly promoted BB Ankaraspor, left Besiktas 16 points adrift of league leaders and reigning champions Fenerbahçe SK by matchday eight.

Sharp decline
Things seemed to have stabilised by late autumn, as league results improved and the club produced their best football of the season to beat Athletic Club de Bilbao 3-1 in their first UEFA Cup group stage game. That was to prove a false dawn, however.

Language problems
A miserable 2-1 defeat against FC Steaua Bucuresti marked the turning point as Del Bosque's men lost their footing in the competition and missed out on the last 32. For some, the coach had always been struggling to apply his coaching ideas to the players at his command in his first spell outside his homeland.

Unfamiliar faces
Having arrived at the club in June, Del Bosque found that Besiktas had already made their summer signings, and the only additions he was able to make were left-sided midfield player Juanfran from RC Celta de Vigo and Norwegian striker John Carew. This effectively left him in charge of players he did not choose.

Unsuccessful experiments
None the less, Del Bosque did not help his cause by playing players out of position in order to shoehorn his squad into his preferred formation. Ibrahim Toraman did not work well as a right-back, Okan Buruk was not a natural in the centre of midfield, and no amount of experimentation seemed to help the coach settle on a favourite first XI.

New man
The club's board and journalists turned on Del Bosque long before the fans, who remained surprisingly supportive throughout. But now the hope is that in the 42-year-old Çalimbay, a Besiktas winger and master crosser for 16 years, the club have a coach who can bring success and stability.

'Deep confidence'
"We are hoping to work with him for 15 years," said Besiktas president Yildirim Demirören. "We have such deep confidence in him." For his part, Çalimbay believes that motivation is crucial, saying: "All this team needs is confidence. We have to motivate them well so that they feel they are playing for a great side. Then success will surely follow."

Point to prove
Having coached the Turkish Under-21 side and acted as Mustafa Denizli's assistant at UEFA EURO 2000™ before embarking on a coaching career which saw him take charge of Göztepe, Denizlispor, MKE Ankaragücü and Rizespor, Çalimbay has plenty of experience and a point to prove on behalf of Turkish coaches.

First target
"I want to be successful not only for myself but also for the new breed of Turkish coaches," Çalimbay said. "The path will be open for them if I can win trophies here." If he can close the eight-point gap on third-placed Trabzonspor to grab a place in the UEFA Cup next season, his mission will be well under way.