Hamzaoğlu handed Galatasaray reins

Galatasaray AŞ have appointed former player Hamza Hamzaoğlu as their new coach on a deal until the end of the season after Cesare Prandelli left the club last Thursday.

The 45-year-old Hamzaoğlu has recently been working as an assistant to Turkey coach Fatih Terim and has been allowed to leave his post by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). "Hamzaoğlu is a new guy, new blood for the team," said Galatasaray president Duygun Yarsuvat. "We can be successful with him. There's light ahead of us."

A hard-working left-winger in his playing days, Hamzaoğlu spent four years at Galatasaray, winning two league titles. After spells with a number of other clubs, he hung up his boots in 2004. A move into coaching soon followed before Hamzaoğlu struck out on his own at second-tier Malatyaspor in 2008/09, going on to manage Eyüpspor, Denizlispor and Akhisar Belediyespor, who he kept in the first division in his first year and led to promotion to the Super League the following season.

"This is the place I call home," said Hamzaoğlu, who had worked at the TFF since September 2013. "The most important thing will be not letting down the Galatasaray community and the people who trusted in me. It's not the right time to make promises about winning the title, but nobody should ever doubt we'll do our best. We'll build a team with winning ambition and fair play spirit. We'll create unity within the club and reach our targets."

Already certain to finish bottom of UEFA Champions League Group D, Galatasaray are a point clear of second-placed Fenerbahçe SK in the Super League. Hamzaoğlu's first assignment will be Wednesday's Turkish Cup game against Eskişehirspor.