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April
20, 2000
ISTANBUL,
APR 19 (AP) - Traveling with a highly trained bodyguard
guard per player, Galatasaray flew to England Wednesday for
their high-tension UEFA cup semifinal match against Leeds United.
Turks at the airport handed over red and yellow flowers to the
players,
while the team's anthem was played on the loudspeakers at
Istanbul's
Ataturk airport.
"Our hearts are with you," fans chanted when the team
arrived
at
the airport.
Many Turks fear that the game may lead to further violence after
two
Leeds supporters were stabbed to death in Istanbul on the eve of
Galatasaray's
2-0 victory in the first leg.
Several anti-Turkish attacks have been reported across England
since
the stabbings two weeks ago.
Galatasaray is traveling with an 11-member antiterrorist squad to
protect
the team and its officials. Private television NTV reported
that
the team was even bringing its own food and drinks for security
reasons.
In an interview with Romanian Pro-Sport weekly, the team's
Romanian
defender Gheorghe Popescu said that the team had received
several
threatening faxes and e-mails.
"At the club, we received from England dozens of faxes and
e-mails
in which we were warned to not go there otherwise they would
kill
us," Popescu was quoted as saying.
But Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim and the players said they
believed
their security would be guaranteed and that their trip to
Leeds
would be violence-free.
Terim said he hoped that security concerns and the tension
surrounding
the match would not affect his players.
"Our players have to be comfortable and think only about
football,"
Terim told reporters at the airport. "We are working
hard
for our players not to be affected by all this."
Star-striker Hakan Sukur said he didn't think the circumstances
of
the match would interfere with his team's performance. "We are professionals,"
he said.
Meanwhile, Turks heaped criticism on the decision of
UEFA,
European
soccer's governing body, to ban Galatasaray from the game.
UEFA
ruled in favor of a Leeds request to ban the Turkish fans from
Elland
Road stadium for security reasons.
"This is wrong to the utmost degree and a prime example of
double
standards," said Haluk Ulusoy, head of the Turkish Football
Federation.
The game has turned into a national issue since UEFA's decision
and
a group of government ministers and lawmakers were due to travel
to
Leeds Thursday to support the team.
If Galatasaray qualifies, it would be the first time a Turkish
team
plays a European cup final.
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