Two Turkish Head Coaches Will Face Each Other in the UEFA Champions League

For the first time in UEFA Champions League history, two Turkish head coaches will face each other. In Matchday 5 of the Champions League, the Shakhtar Donetsk vs Fenerbahçe match will be played at Stamford Bridge in London on Wednesday, 25 November, at 23.00 Turkish time (TSİ). Arda Turan will coach the Ukrainian side, while Emre Belözoğlu will be Fenerbahçe's new head coach.

Beyond their club careers, the two men also played together for many years in the Turkish national football team. Arda Turan played for the national team between 2006 and 2017, and Emre Belözoğlu between 2000 and 2019. Both were part of the squad at the 2008 European Championship, where the national team reached the semi-finals.

Arda Turan and Emre Belözoğlu were teammates at Atletico Madrid in 2012. Emre had transferred from Fenerbahçe to Atletico Madrid that summer. During their roughly six months as teammates, the most notable success was the UEFA Super Cup, which they won by beating Chelsea on 31 August 2012. After the trophy ceremony, the two of them took a lap of the pitch carrying the Turkish flag.

The Spanish press put the pair in the headlines, and they were nicknamed "Turkish Brothers".