Daum flies the flag for Fenerbahçe

Christoph Daum is enjoying being back at the helm of Fenerbahçe SK and the experienced German coach intends to lead the Istanbul giants to success in the UEFA Europa League and the Turkish Süper Lig, with the new season beginning this weekend.

Previous stint
"I'm half-Turkish but totally Fenerbahçe," proclaimed the passionate coach recently, having been appointed for a second spell this summer after collecting two championship titles during his initial reign between 2003 and 2006. Fenerbahçe slipped to fourth in the domestic standings under Spaniard Luis Aragonés last term and Daum is desperate to arrest that slide, believing the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium outfit ought to be competing for European glory instead of struggling to keep up with rivals closer to home. "Fenerbahçe are one of Europe's top clubs," he told uefa.com. "The kind that should be mentioned in the same breath as teams like Manchester United, Bayern München and AC Milan."

Honvéd win
The club's poor Süper Lig showing in 2008/09 has nonetheless left them with a long route to the top, obliging them to get their UEFA Europa League bid started in the third qualifying round. They are at least heavy favourites to seal a play-off round place, however, having downed Budapest Honvéd FC in the Turkish capital last week to set up a relatively straightforward task in Hungary this evening. Club president Aziz Yıldırım is keen for Fener to make their mark in Europe too, having backed the signing of Brazilian duo André Santos and Cristian, with rumours of more arrivals on the way.

Bold claims
With his side travelling to face Denizlispor on Sunday, former player Yıldırım is also firmly focused on Süper Lig success. He pinpointed the return of Daum as the "first step on the road to three consecutive Süper Lig titles" and, rarely for a coach, the man in question openly welcomed that assessment. "Of course I'm going to win the title with Fenerbahçe," explained the 55-year-old. "The board made sure I have a decent set of players to work with and now it's my job to build a team capable of winning the title."

'Fantastic individuals'
The likes of midfield schemer Alex and veteran left-back Roberto Carlos remain key players and Daum praised the high motivation levels among his charges. "We have some fantastic individuals at the club and they are all willing to take on the challenge," he told uefa.com. "I can safely say that the players will give their all for the club and they'll fight tooth and nail for our wonderful fans."

Popular appointment
Those same fans have already made their feelings known about the new man in the dugout, having stormed the pitch to get closer to their hero during a pre-season friendly with Bundesliga outfit TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Rosenheim. He has proved a popular appointment since consolidating 1. FC Köln, or 'Little Fenerbahçe' as he affectionately calls them, as a top-flight force in Germany last year, and Sunday's 2-0 Turkish Super Cup victory over city rivals Beşiktaş JK has got everyone hoping the new season will be one to remember.