Back in 2013/14, Fenerbahçe claimed a record-breaking 28th Turkish Süper Lig title. If you’d have told a Sarı Kanaryalar back then that 12 years later they would still be waiting for their 29th crown, they’d have laughed in your face. But such is the cruel world of the beautiful game.
Back then, Fenerbahçe were the dominant force in the Turkish game. Their title triumph was their fifth in the space of a decade, and they seemed poised and ready to dominate for years to come. Strikers Moussa Sow, Emmanuel Emenike, and an aging Dirk Kuyt were firing on all cylinders, while Turkish internationals Mehmet Topal, Alper Potuk, and Volkan Demirel were in the form of their lives. Their performances ensured that the Istanbul giants finished a mighty nine points clear of rivals Galatasaray, and an era of dominance was set to be ushered in.
Fenerbahçe Falter as Their Rivals Rise
As we all know, that wasn’t to be the case. Since that 2014 triumph, Fenerbahçe have finished as runners-up on no fewer than seven occasions, including in each of the last four campaigns. All the while, it’s been Gala who have been dominating, winning the title in each of the last three years to take their total haul to 26, just two behind their great rivals. Not even the appointment of a certain Jose Mourinho could stop the rot, with the Special One ousted earlier this season following a bitter Champions League exit, but things are at least starting to improve.
The perennial runners-up currently sit four points behind their table-topping rivals from across the city. Despite being unbeaten in their 11 fixtures so far this term, however, online betting websites still make the Kanaryalar outsiders to end their drought. The popular Bovada website currently lists Galatasaray as a 1/3 favorite to claim a fourth straight Turkish championship this season, while Fenerbahçe are out at 7/2.
Whether Domenico Tedesco’s men can upset the odds and their rivals remains to be seen, but Fenerbahçe will always remember that glorious 2013/14 campaign. But what else was happening in the football world way back then? Let’s find out.
Germany Destroy Brazil En Route to World Cup Glory
Following the 2013/14 season, the FIFA World Cup took place in Brazil, but it was a football party that the Turks weren’t invited to. Turkey embarked upon a disastrous qualifying campaign, slumping to a fourth-place finish after losses to the Netherlands, Hungary, and Romania. Even so, the football world rolled on.
The 2014 World Cup was iconic. Lionel Messi dazzled as he led Argentina to the final, while England endured their worst-ever campaign as they were dumped out in the group stage. But there was one moment that will be remembered as the most shocking in tournament history. Germany 7, Brazil 1.
The Brazilians headed into that semifinal against Die Mannschaft, roared on by millions as the host nation. Injuries to talisman Neymar and captain Thiago Silva should have set alarm bells ringing, but the Selecao faithful remained expectant. What unfolded, however, was a drubbing of the highest order.
After taking an 11th-minute lead, Germany would score four goals in just six first-half minutes to take a scarcely believable 5-0 lead into halftime. A brace from Andre Schurrle, as well as Oscar’s late consolation, sealed a 7-1 demolition, leaving the 58,000 home fans in Belo Horizonte gobsmacked. The Germans would go on to claim the title, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final courtesy of Mario Gotze’s extra-time winner, but it’s the semifinal that will never be forgotten.
Real Madrid Finally Win La Decima
After Real Madrid claimed their ninth UEFA Champions League crown in 2002, many thought that the tenth would quickly follow. What followed was the worst barren spell in the club’s illustrious history, with the elusive La Decima becoming a curse and then an obsession. Plenty tried and failed: the Galacticos, Fabio Capello, even Jose Mourinho. None succeeded.
Then came Carlo Ancelotti. The maverick Italian assembled a star-studded squad headed by a lethal Cristiano Ronaldo, and in 2014, the time was finally nigh. With CR7 on fire, Real swept all comers, including Turkey’s own Galatasaray, who were destroyed home and away in the group stages.
Real made it to the final, and they would face local rivals Atletico, marking the first time in history that two teams from the same city had contested the Champions League final. And it looked as though it would be the Spanish capital’s perceived younger brother who would emerge with the crown after Diego Godin’s first-half opener. But in the dying embers, Sergio Ramos planted a header beyond Thibaut Courtois, before extra time strikes from Gareth Bale, Marcelo, and Ronaldo finally claimed La Decima at long last.
While Fenerbahce are still waiting for their next Turkish Süper Lig crown 12 years on, in the years since La Decima, Real have added a further five Champions League titles to their already overflowing trophy cabinet. If that doesn’t speak of the pain at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, nothing will.
