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Why a possible Trabzonspor win would be something special...

The great English footballer Gary Lineker once said: "Football is a very simple game played by 22 men and the Germans win at the end". To paraphrase the 1986 World Cup top scorer, the Turkish Süper Lig is a very interesting championship played by 20 teams, with Besiktas, Galatasaray or Fenerbahçe winning at the end.

The three sides have amassed 57 league titles. And while there may be some gaps within the top three: Galatasaray have won 22 league titles, Fenerbahçe 19 and Besiktas 16, the rest of the Turkish clubs have fallen a long way behind the trio in terms of achievements.

However, this season, there is an excellent chance that the title of the best team in the country will go to Trabzonspor. This would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of Turkish football in the 21st century. After all, although the Black Sea Storm has won the league title 6 times, the last time they lifted the trophy was way back in 1984.

What was 1984? It was a time when the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall existed, Michael Jordan was just getting ready to make his NBA debut, and the classic version of Çalıkuşu had not even hit the screens yet. A completely different time, a different era, the fans who were young then now bring their children, and even grandchildren, to football - and ever since, they haven’t seen Trabzonspor win the title.

It seemed before the start of the season that the wait would continue. After all, last season Trabzonspor finished only fourth, 11 points adrift of third-placed Fenerbahçe, with Galatasaray and eventual champions Besiktas another two points in front of the Yellow Canaries. In other words, the Black Sea Storm had to overhaul three teams that outperformed them last season.

A third of the season has passed - and what’s the outlook? Well, the trio of giants has all fallen far behind, while Trabzonspor is confidently leading the league. Of course, some might say that the team was lucky to be eliminated by Italy's Roma in the Europa League qualifiers, because thanks to that, Trabzonspor could concentrate on the domestic tournament. But the calendar is definitely not the main reason for the club's success.

Players at the club are performing so well that it's difficult to highlight who’s been the greatest asset to the team. On the one hand, there is Anastasios Bakasetas, the man who scored two dozen goals in 2021 following his joining Trabzonspor from Alanyaspor earlier in the year. The club's top scorer, a man who can make magnificent passes, is the team’s soul.

And on the other hand, how can we not mention Marek Hamšík, who moved here in the summer and has been a catalyst for the team's success? The Slovakian midfielder, who was one of the Serie A stars of the 2010s, brings something that cannot be quantified. A winning mentality, the understanding that you can be better than your opponents in any situation, plus knowledge of the game and its laws. Marek's statistics are surprising - he only has one goal and two assists in a third of the season, but in every game, there are several episodes where he turns the tide for the team. He also gives invaluable insight and inspiration to younger players during training.

Those training sessions are led by Abdullah Avcı. The 48-year-old had managed to succeed at a dozen clubs when he was a player, and as a coach, he is keen to do the same. His CV includes work with the Turkish youth team, two stints at Istanbul Başakşehir (with a break for the adult national team), and a stint at Besiktaş.

He is an experienced coach in the prime of his career and indeed burning with the desire to prove he can take the championship, as his two previous clubs have done after his departure. Firstly, he left Istanbul in 2019, and the team won their first-ever title in 2020, then he left Besiktas in 2020 - and as you know, the club won the title in 2021.

Avcı is well aware of the potential of Turkish players but also relies on foreign players. If you look at playing time and highlight the leaders in Trabzonspor, 11 of the top 15 so far this season (and French-born Yusuf Sari) are foreigners. Moreover, the vast majority of them are in their early or even late 30s, which means they are a squad that wants to win here and now, and for them, the Turkish title is priceless.

That applies even to such experienced players as former Arsenal and Roma footballer Gervinho, and Roma's Bruno Perez, to say nothing of the lesser-known foreigners. This is their chance to become legends, to go down in the club's history with their "last dance".

And on the way to that title, they are unlikely to be intimidated by the stars of Fenerbahçe, led by Mesut Özil or even by Fatih Terim himself. The away win over Besiktas, when the Black Sea Stormers got three points in the 96th minute, proved that this team is willing to do anything for the title.

1xBet is offering attractive odds for Trabzonspor to win the Süper Lig title this season. Seems like a good time to place a bet - and double your money at the end of the season!

One thing’s for sure - these guys don’t want to let you down.