Daum revives Fenerbahçe

By Axel Ruppert

It has taken Fenerbahçe SK coach Christoph Daum some time to recover his composure after missing out on the job of Germany coach after he tested positive for cocaine while at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but it seems the one-time wonderboy of German coaching may be back on top again.

Title contenders
The 50-year-old was fresh from steering FK Austria Wien to an Austrian league and cup double in 2002/03 when he arrived in Istanbul last summer. And in a relatively short space of time he has helped to kick-start a backfiring club. Having finished in sixth place, 34 points behind champions Besiktas JK last season, second-placed Fenerbahçe are now serious contenders for the Turkish title.

Attacking goal
"We have started the second part of the season very well," Daum told uefa.com. "The team is much more stable now, and we have had four wins in a row while Besiktas have stumbled a little. We are only five points behind them, and seven ahead of the third-placed team, so it's our goal to attack Besiktas now."

Genuine competition
Mircea Lucescu's Besiktas - who were twice coached by Daum - have been in imperious form in the last two campaigns, leaving their domestic rivals floundering in their wake. However, in his youthful crop of players, Daum believes he has a side capable of providing genuine competition for the men in black and white.

'Team of the future'
"We have a very young team with seven Under-21 internationals while Besiktas's players are four years older on average - players with experience in national teams and the [UEFA] Champions League - and this means a lot," he said. "They tend to keep their heads up, while we often react too emotionally and play too open, but we are becoming more and more disciplined and getting better from day to day. I think we have the team of the future, because we have very young and strong players."

Striking godsend
Youth may be a key element, but seasoned Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk remains a vital component in Daum's armoury. "He is a godsend for every coach," said Daum. "Even at the age of 34, he is the best foreign player in Turkey, the best goalscorer and very reliable. He is one of the main reasons Fenerbahçe have had such a successful season."

'First among equals'
Daum is keen to point out that it is not just the players and their coach who have forged this success. "The balance of your squad is very important, but you also need a very good team around you," he said. "It is not a one-man show. At Leverkusen, we had all these aspects when I arrived - we just had to integrate and focus them and it worked. It also worked in Austria and now in Turkey. I see myself as a first among equals."

'We will try'
Fenerbahçe are in rude health, then, but what next? Having had a rare break from European football this term, Fenerbahçe fans are certainly hungry for excitement, but the title? Daum is not sure. "Considering the upheaval we have had, second place would be a big success. But we, the fans, the coaches and the players, want more," he said. "The world wouldn't fall apart if we didn't win the league but if we get the chance, we will try to take it."