Champions League Q3: SL Benfica vs Trabzonspor A.Ş. [July 27th]

[Mickey_Mouse]

You have written that If the success of a team would rely on the support of the fans, we would be a top nation in football.

The support of fans isn't everything, but a main part of success. To your statement I can say only one thing; if the success of a team wouldn't rely on the support, Trabzon wouldn't have won against Barcelona, Liverpool, Lyon and Aston Villa in the own stadium. Or general; THERE WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING LIKE A 'HOME ADVANTAGE'

As someone said, Trabzonspor is not a very well known club and not a team that motivates the Benfica fans to go to the match and feel like they have to 'support' 'help', whatever because the opposition is strong. In the mind of the average supporter they think Benfica should be beating Trabzonspor easily. If Benfica was playing a bigger team, I am pretty sure that people would have a different attitude towards the match.

Moreover, I believe that the differences between the way you support your teams there and what you saw, which is just a glimpse of a game, are very overrated. There is much more to home advantage than the supporters. Yes, you have had some nice wins, but how many losses have you had? What's your global European record? In recent times I have seen a different Portuguese side, Porto, go to Turkey and comfortably beat Besiktas and Fenerbahce... their support was fanatical, yet they were outclassed easily. The support helps, but it's only a small part in the grand scheme of things, otherwise Turkey and Greece would always be up there challenging for the final stages in Europe. Look at Braga, they have a smaller budget than you and they've beaten, in a single season, Celtic, Sevilla, Arsenal, Liverpool, Dynamo Kiev, Benfica... and their support is not as enthusiastic or as fanatic the Turkish. There's only so much the supporters 'can help', but at the end of the day, it comes down to skills from both the manager and the players.

[Fearless]

You have written that If the success of a team would rely on the support of the fans, we would be a top nation in football.

The support of fans isn't everything, but a main part of success. To your statement I can say only one thing; if the success of a team wouldn't rely on the support, Trabzon wouldn't have won against Barcelona, Liverpool, Lyon and Aston Villa in the own stadium. Or general; THERE WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING LIKE A 'HOME ADVANTAGE'

As someone said, Trabzonspor is not a very well known club and not a team that motivates the Benfica fans to go to the match and feel like they have to 'support' 'help', whatever because the opposition is strong. In the mind of the average supporter they think Benfica should be beating Trabzonspor easily. If Benfica was playing a bigger team, I am pretty sure that people would have a different attitude towards the match.

Moreover, I believe that the differences between the way you support your teams there and what you saw, which is just a glimpse of a game, are very overrated. There is much more to home advantage than the supporters. Yes, you have had some nice wins, but how many losses have you had? What's your global European record? In recent times I have seen a different Portuguese side, Porto, go to Turkey and comfortably beat Besiktas and Fenerbahce... their support was fanatical, yet they were outclassed easily. The support helps, but it's only a small part in the grand scheme of things, otherwise Turkey and Greece would always be up there challenging for the final stages in Europe. Look at Braga, they have a smaller budget than you and they've beaten, in a single season, Celtic, Sevilla, Arsenal, Liverpool, Dynamo Kiev, Benfica... and their support is not as enthusiastic or as fanatic the Turkish. There's only so much the supporters 'can help', but at the end of the day, it comes down to skills from both the manager and the players.

Unfortunately, I think that next week the stadium will be filled, because we are playing a friendly with Arsenal... I'm saying this because I can't understand why people prefer to buy tickets to watch a friendly against a weak Arsenal without Fábregas, than buy a ticket to watch the team in the Chamipons League qualifier, an official match, against a good team (better than any portuguese clubs, besides , Porto, Sporting and maybe Braga)... but people make their options...

[SimpSLB]

Dude, our manager is crazy, last season he used against stronger/equal teams a tactic that only one player in the midfield defends (Javi Garcia)

[Vitor Abreu]

In this forum you can see some liverpool fans saying the atmosphere in our stadium is amazing, and comparable to Anfield Road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE7nFZup72g
In this video you can see another Liverpool fan saying we were supporting our team all over the match and that we are the best fans he has seen at Anfield.

You got a wrong idea about us, but you must be sure when we trust the team we create a amazing atmosphere in our stadium. Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqEYb9SmEH8&feature=related

[4ever Red Devil]

Yeah, don't really expect a defensive approach by Jorge Jesus in the second leg. That guy is a disaster in european competitions and knows nothing else besides the 4-1-3-2 formation and that all-atack style.

Mickey, there are certainly examples of good Benfica performances under passionate atmospheres that you remember, like the 0-2 win at Anfield...
Why talk about others clubs (and clubs that qualify through match fixing...) european campaigns?

[Mickey_Mouse]

I was talking about games in Turkey. I can't remember seeing Benfica in Turkey yet! I only talked about the performances on the pitch, there's a recent example of a Portuguese team that beat Turkish teams under difficult environments. I think the support of the fans is great, but it's not as important as maybe some people think. It's just my opinion.

Benfica beat Liverpool at Anfield, when they were the reigning European Champions, if the Turks here don't know it, they should...

[trapZone^61]

I've written in my first message, that your fans were quiet during the match against us, which is true. That Trabzon isn't a big club is your oppinion, I respect it. Of course Trabzon isn't as good as the big clubs in Europe, but bigger than every club in Portugal except Porto, Benfica and Sporting. A CL qualifications round is more importans than a league match, although the opponent isn't a 'big club'. Does that mean, that the fans of you are acting in the league matches against smaller clubs like the same against us? If yes, then I am right, if no, then the match against us in Lissabon was an exception. Don't misunderstand me guys

What are the latest news about your team? Are there any players who have been injured, or who won't play because of some problems?

[Vitor Abreu]

You're right, against small Portugueses teams we got numbers around 30.000 fans. I don't said you are a small club, but you don't attract a lot of people in Portugal (the same for any Turkish club). Portuguese people is very lazy, we prefer the confort of our sofa than watch the game in the stadium. I don't like this, but its the truth about our people. Cultures are cultures, but I'd like at least in football our culture was the same than yours.

[4ever Red Devil]

In terms of attendances it really swings with the "mood" of the supporters. It has to do with how well the team is playing. We can have 60.000 in a game against a team that fights to avoid relegation and have only 30.000 in a Champions League match. It happens very often.

[tslionur61]

So far, only 10.000 tickets have sold for the match in Istanbul. Because of the first match's score, there isn't big attention. If you didn't beat us 2-0 you would see our excellent fans and our shows.

[Darkboy]

It's only natural. Do you have fans in Istambul? Or those 10.000 are probably from Trabzon?

[RicardoSR]

Here in Portugal I heard that are expected 50.000-60.000 in the second leg in Istambul.
What's the information that you have in Turkey?
There will be less than 50.000?

[tslionur61]

It's only natural. Do you have fans in Istambul? Or those 10.000 are probably from Trabzon?

Darkboy these are our fans in Istanbul ( Atatürk Olympic Stadium) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCGPn4FpDXI

Here in Portugal I heard that are expected 50.000-60.000 in the second leg in Istambul.
What's the information that you have in Turkey?
There will be less than 50.000?

Ricardo, I think it will be less then 50.000 because of first leg's score. We aren't sure but we heard only 14.000 tickets have been sold so far.

[trapZone^61]

You're right, against small Portugueses teams we got numbers around 30.000 fans. I don't said you are a small club, but you don't attract a lot of people in Portugal (the same for any Turkish club). Portuguese people is very lazy, we prefer the confort of our sofa than watch the game in the stadium. I don't like this, but its the truth about our people. Cultures are cultures, but I'd like at least in football our culture was the same than yours.

That was what I wanted to say. But like I said, I haven't seen any coreography like yours with the devil. It was amazing! In coreographys you are much better than we turks 

[trapZone^61]

And about the number of our fans;

what I heard yesterday is, that 27.000 tickets have been sold. Today is the estimated number of sold tickets around 35.000.

Against Istanbul BB last season, we sold also 35000 tickets before the match, finally there were 60.000 fans in the stadium.

I think that there will be around 50.000 fans in the stadium on Wednesday. Let's wait and see