The Trabzonspor.

Trabzon is the Turkish name for Trebizond. It is a beautiful city on the Black Sea, the last Christian city to fall to the Turks in 1461, that's why it is said lose the Trebizond to say losing control, losing the compass, also because it was and is an important port on the Black Sea, the most important in Turkey. It is still a very beautiful city. On an artistic level, the most interesting monument is the former church of Santa Sofia not far from the Black Sea.

Trabzonspor Kubuli has won the Turkish championship 6 times and the Turkish cup 9 times and is the most successful team outside of Istanbul and of the 3 big sisters: Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray. The first shirt is striped in dark red and very light blue.

There are many old acquaintances from Serie A and also from Roma such as: Bruno Peres, Cornelius, Gervy, Hamsik and Victor Hugo.

Abdullah Avci fielded a very offensive 433 with Bakasetas (left) and Hamsik (both feet) more likely to offend. The three strikers are very fast, but none are central strikers if Cornelius (left) doesn't play. Especially Gervy (both) and Djaniny are both right wingers, very fast, very technical and take turns as center forward. It will be a good test for our construction, their excellent pressing. Collective with all operational attackers. If Cornelius were to play, he is less inclined to press, but he is a true central striker. Let's remember that like most left-handed players, he only uses his left.

In their construction phase they suffer a little. Ozdemir is the playmaker and Victor Hugo is the best defender in this phase, Edgar Ie less good (very good in defensive phase). Often Bakasetas returns to midfield and collects the direct pass of the goalkeeper, removing the chestnuts from the fire.

Let's remember to shoot often on goal (better closely) because the goalkeeper is not very strong, but if we want to shoot, we shoot precisely to take the goal.

Hamsik is very good with the passing game and very dangerous with the shot from outside. Bakasetas is good at passing games, assisting, attacking without ball (especially), shooting from outside and also shooting set pieces.

On the corner from their right, Bakasetas practically makes a cross-shot with most of the blue-grenade players in the small goal area, at the near post, which creates a lot of confusion. 3 of the 4 goals with Molde came this way.

Turkey has been an Islamic country since the times of the Ottoman Empire, but then modern Turkey has become an evolved country, tolerant of other religions and with companies capable of competing internationally. Now, for economic and cultural reasons, Turkey must push to enter the European Union and this would also be an advantage for the EU that would acquire an Islamic country within its community, in order to give an idea of cultural openness. (as Altiero Spinelli, the ideologue of Europeanism wanted) and in order to be an effective interlocutor and mediator in the various Middle Eastern economic and war theaters (always bearing in mind that Europeanism has peace as its founding value), including the mother problem of the Middle East: Palestine.

However, Turkey cannot be a serious candidate to join the EU with current laws. Civil rights are trampled on. Many journalists are in jail. Turkey invaded Syria (with Trump's US approval), massacring the Kurds, the real winners of the self-styled Islamic State. We will be able to talk seriously about Turkey’s entry into Europe when journalists and political prisoners are released, when the civil rights of opponents are observed, when the Turkish government will sit down with the Kurds to allow civil coexistence. Turkey has been ruled for about twenty years by Recep Tayyil Erdogan, who is often responsible for the problems I have listed. I hope he has the wisdom to understand what the good of Turkey is and to promote the actions that can bring it about.

It seems like a strange twist of fate that a few days after the death of Gino Strada, to whom it would be right to dedicate a street or a square instead of dedicating them to Mussolini's relatives or to Hitler, who in Afghanistan, in the country where he saved so many lives, are the Taliban came to power. Erdogan can also be a mediator for human and civil rights in Afghanistan, especially for women. The Taliban took power without a fight. The Afghan army has surrendered without a fight and this is the fault of the agreement reached some time ago by Trump and Biden’s announcement of withdrawal. It is necessary that the international community as the UN and the West as NATO intervene, not necessarily by military means, to ensure the observance of human, civil and political rights, especially of women. I hope the EU will address the situation with one voice. A situation of temporary but evident defeat can be transformed into a peremptory victory for the EU, for the West and especially for the human rights of Afghans as Gino Strada would have liked.

Gino Strada's testament is precisely this: empathy for situations of suffering or, as Che Guevara said, feeling in the depths of ourselves every injustice committed against anyone. In short, “If the rights are of a few, they are no longer rights, but privileges”. Some time ago, this recent movement in favor of the Afghan people, in favor of Afghan women, would not have been such a foregone conclusion. This is to be emphasized. This empathy has its roots in the 1960s, in the movement against the war in Vietnam, and I am sure it will be fundamental to improve the situation in Afghanistan and in general for the evolution of mankind.

Probably when we face the group, we will have easier opponents, but the Trab. it is absolutely not to be underestimated. It is a good team, fast and with a high technical quality, but we are the favorites and it is a must to win at home as well. Daje Roma!

Giordano Sepi