By Tayo Amosu
August 9th, 2014
The UEFA Champions’ League playoff round draws which held on Friday 8th August, 2014, pitched Arsenal with Turkish giants, Besiktas.
The Gunners avoided ties against Athletic Bilbao, Lille, FC Copenhagen, and Standard Liege during the draws but will now face the Turkish side that finished third in the Turkish Championship last season.
The club was considered for Champions’ League football after the Turkish Champions, Fenerbahce were suspended from European competitions over domestic match fixing.
The North London side will travel to Turkey for the first leg either August 19 or 20, with the second leg at the Emirates on August 26 or 27.
Arsenal has never previously met Besiktas in any European competition.
Besiktas Football Club, a Turkish giant that holds a record of never being relegated to a lower division, last won the Turkish Super Lig championship during the 2008/2009 season, when they also won the Turkish Cup to make it a double that year.
The club this summer has secured the services of former Chelsea and Newcastle attacker, Demba Ba, who moved in a £4.7m transfer to the Turkish side.
Besiktas is managed by former West Ham and Everton defender Slaven Bilic and are blessed with talented players like former Arsenal Academy graduate Oguzhan Ozyakup, Canadian, Atiba Hutchinson, Mustafa Pektemek and now Demba Ba of Senegal, who scored a hat-trick in the club’s second-leg victory over Feyernoord in the previous round, which gave his side a 5-2 aggregate victory.
Arsenal, whose Champions’ League fate was sealed when they secured a 4th place finish in the EPL last season, on their part would be more than ready to take on the Turkish side, with an array of stars within the squad.
This summer, the Gunners have added Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, Mathieu Debuchy ( as replacement for compatriot Bacary Sagna) from Newcastle, Calum Chambers from Southampton and David Ospina from OGC Nice; and a lot of speculations still point to the fact that Arsenal’s business in the summer transfer period, is far from over.
Just last week the manager confirmed to the press that a player, at most two players would still put pen to paper for the North London club before this window closes.
Arsenal will be looking to secure their 17th successive season in UEFA Champion’s League, which is the European elite competition.
However, it will not be easy for Arsenal this time trying to secure their 17th consecutive UCL group stage as Besiktas would prove an uneasy opponent.
On the verge of losing their captain and centre back, Thomas Vermaelen, the club, other than being linked with a plethora of defensive midfielders all summer long, are now being linked to Matija Nastasic of Manchester City.
After the draw, Arsenal midfielder, Mesut Ozil, who is Turkish German, expressed his excitement with the draw and took to twitter to say: ‘‘what a draw! Already looking forward to the matches against @Besiktas! #Turkey #Istanbul #Arsenal #UCLdraw’’.
Arsenal supporters are hopeful of good showing in all fronts with the new air around the club this summer.
