Yanal’s Trabzon faces first test at Galatasaray

Galatasaray is set to ask difficult questions to former national coach Ersun Yanal, who clinched the league title with Fenerbahçe last year, before returning to the Black Sea team this year New Trabzonspor coach Ersun Yanal will face his first test this weekend when the Black Sea side visits Galatasaray for a Spor Toto Super League match.

Yanal, a former national team coach who has coached several Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahçe, Gençlerbirliği, Eskişehirspor, Ankaragücü and Denizlispor, started his second spell at Trabzonspor on Nov. 12, replacing Bosnian coach Valid Halilhodzic following the club’s dismal start to the season. He will have had 10 days to work with the team, thanks to a break for the Euro 2016 qualification and international friendly games, before matching up against Galatasaray on Nov. 22, hoping to clinch a victory.

Trabzonspor currently sits 10th in the Spor Toto Super League standings, while Galatasaray is in second with 19 points, behind leader Fenerbahçe on goal differential.

Yanal bids to build an ‘enjoyable team’

“Trabzonspor will show a difference in the way it performs,” Yanal told a press conference on Nov. 20. “It will be an enjoyable team to watch that respects its opponents and makes its supporters feel the players’ desire for victory.”

When asked about the large number of coaching changes in short succession for the club, which has had five different coaches in the last one-and-half years, Yanal recalled that it was not the first time he would coach Trabzonspor, adding that the issue is not local to the club.

“I know this structure very well, and it is a job for all of us to change it,” Yanal said.

“Everybody...