A striking 'Cup 2' possibility: It has happened for the 4th time in the 33-year history of the Champions League...

Hosting Swiss side Young Boys at RAMS Park in the Champions League Play-Off round second leg, Galatasaray left the pitch with a 1-0 defeat. With this result, Galatasaray bid farewell to the Champions League, and a striking statistic emerged. 

4TH TIME IN TOURNAMENT HISTORY

In the organization that has been played under the name Champions League since the 1992/93 season, a Turkish team will not be represented in its 33rd season.

The seasons in which we could not send a representative to the Champions League, marking the 4th time this has occurred, are as follows:

In the 1992-93 season, Beşiktaş lost 0-2 away to IFK Göteborg and, despite winning 2-1 at home, could not reach the Champions League. 

In the 1995-96 season, Beşiktaş again lost 0-3 away to Rosenborg BK and defeated them 3-1 at İnönü, but this result was not enough for the Champions League. 

In the 2022-2023 season, two of our representatives missed this chance simultaneously. While Trabzonspor continued its journey in the Europa League with 1-2 and 0-0 results, Fenerbahçe could not secure a Champions League visa with 0-0 and 1-2 results. 

According to data compiled by Ülke Puanı, finally, with Fenerbahçe being eliminated by Lille in the 3rd Qualifying Round and Galatasaray by Young Boys, it is the 4th time in the 33-year history of the Champions League that no Turkish team has qualified.

POSSIBILITY OF A 3-TEAM EUROPA LEAGUE

Following these results, the possibility of having three representatives in the Europa League group/league stage for the 4th time in our history has emerged.

In the 2016/17 season, Fenerbahçe, Konyaspor, and Osmanlıspor secured Europa League tickets, while in the 2018/19 season, Akhisarspor, Beşiktaş, and Fenerbahçe participated in 'Cup 2'. In the 2019/20 season, Başakşehir, Beşiktaş, and Trabzonspor were the last trio to participate in the Europa League together. 

If Beşiktaş defeats Lugano, with whom they drew 3-3, in the second leg of the Europa League Play-Off round in Istanbul tomorrow, they will become the third Turkish team to participate in the tournament this season, following Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.

News Source: 12punto