It is hard to imagine the Turkish first tier of domestic football without envisioning the football stadium erupting with the chants of supporters. Indeed, few countries have as close a relationship to football than Turkey. The Turkish Super Lig is one of the most hotly disputed competitions in Europe and an ideal source for selecting an ideal fantasy football draft.
Created 70 years ago, the Turkish league is home to clubs such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor and Bursaspor, teams that would be familiar to the majority of football supporters. It is these clubs that demand the attention of millions of supporters, with Turkish fans known as some of the most dedicated fans of football in the world.
Given the high level of competitiveness and the gifted players promoted by Turkish football, it’s no wonder that the Super Lig would make an ideal ground for fantasy football games. Truly, few nations in Europe have been able to offer as many talented football players, capable of playing at top level, as Turkey has.
Currently all of the clubs, matches and players featured in the Turkish Super Lig are included in the fantasy game of FootballCoin. Managers are able to choose their version of an ideal TSL draft, without any selection restrictions. FootballCoin is seeking out the most knowledgeable managers and rewarding them with the game’s own cryptocurrency, XFC coin.
A fan of the Turkish Super Lig could, before, only dream of assembling a team of bitter rivals representing Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş etc. However, with fantasy football, all fans get the chance of becoming football managers capable of having full control of their team.
How is fantasy Turkish Super Lig played?
While numerous versions of fantasy football exist, one rule seems to apply to all variations of the game. The user is asked to step into the role of football manager. The newly appointed manager must then make choices about what players the squad should include, what tactics to use etc.
FootballCoin is daily fantasy football game in which all of the players in Super Lig are included. Being a DFS game, managers must create a brand new draft for each new contest. As for the contests themselves, those usually represent one matchweek in the competition. In certain cases, for private contests created by other users, especially, matches from more leagues may be added together to the contest.
Until present, almost all of the players in the Turkish Super Lig have been free to choose by any of the virtual managers. Starting with the 2019/20 season, we expect that some changes may be made to the game with the hopes of making it more competitive.
One anticipated change will be to make some of the players available in exchange for performing certain tasks in the game. And, while some of the elite players from other leagues are represented by collectible cards and must be purchased in order to be used, the majority of players in TSL will remain ranked 2* and thus outside of the blockchain and, practically, free to be used by any of the managers in FootballCoin.
Fantasy football in Turkey
While the concept of fantasy football is still gaining ground in Turkey, the popularity of football as a whole ensures that there is great potential for fantasy sports to thrive in the country. Other fantasy sports, such as those representing American football, also tend to be gaining ground in Turkey.
Also, as opposed to the Premier League, the Turkey’s Football Federation has not set up its own fantasy game representing the league. It is one of the reasons why Turkish fans have manifested their excitement at being able to choose their favorite players from the Super Lig in creating their unique fantasy draft.
Another reason why there is optimism about the state of fantasy sport in Turkey, is because of a tendency for these type of games to become more popular in the countries where football is already very popular. Although we cannot say this for certain we can anticipate that fantasy games, as well as football manager games will continue to noteworthy to football fans in Turkey.
Just how popular is football in Turkey
Football is a social phenomenon. This is true for most nations of the world, but in fewer places is this a stronger reality than in Turkey. Fans here are absolutely devoted. And, the industries surrounding it are taking advantage.
Television stations are the first to capitalize on the public’s appetite for watching football games. And, they are willing to pay for it. Television rights deals have been on an upward trajectory. The last couple of seasons have shown the highest increase in terms of money coming in as a consequence of TV rights. For the 2018/19 season, 511 million Euro were paid to Turkish clubs as part of their broadcasting deals. According to Forbes magazine, the TSL is ninth richest football league in the world.
The TSL, with its numerous internal and international stars, is so popular in fact that the league has also been added to the broadcast list of other countries. It should be no surprise that such a high popular demand would exist, with numerous publications, including Bleacher Report, naming it as one of the most entertaining football leagues in the world.
As for attendances, here as well Turkey proudly stands as one of the countries most devoted to football. During the 2017/18 season, more than 41.000 people, on average, would attend games at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, home ground for Galatasaray. Their rivals, Trabzonspor, had more than 400.000 attend matches at their stadium throughout the season. As for Fenerbahce, more than 33.000 fans watched the home games on an average night.
Throughout that season, almost 2.5 million tickets were sold to fans eager to watch their favorite football teams. Even the club with the lowest attendance record, Istanbul Basaksehir FK, playe matches that featured more than 5000 people in their stands. It is a record that is impressive by most standards and one of the reasons why Turkish football has thrived during the last decades.
Super Lig superstars through the years
Along with the evolution of Turkish football, so have its players begun making a larger impression on the international football stage. Now seen as one of the premier football leagues across Europe, the Super Lig’s top players are ones with a reputation that stretches well beyond the borders of Turkey.
Several top-rated players, Turkish or international stars, have earned enough of a reputation to warrant that even today’s supporters dedicate chants to them and speak about the players in the highest terms of recognition.
A striker to whose standard the current players still attempt to live up to is Hakan Şükür, the Super Lig’s all-time goalscorer. Şükür made a name for himself as the goal threat of Galatasaray, one of country’s most important clubs. He managed 249 goals, a record that is yet to be broken. (The previous record had been he;d by Tanju Çolak. Players such as Tanju Çolak, Hami Mandirali also deserve a mention.)
Şükür is also among the players to have made most appearances in the Super Lig. He sits third in that table, with Oğuz Çetin’s 503 appearances sitting as the absolute record. Many of Turkey’s most important players have gone on to be courted by important European clubs. However, the transfer market has also worked the other way around.
The biggest transfers in Super Lig history
The arrival of Romanian Gheorghe Hagi, a former player for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, to Galatasaray in 1996 signified the important that Turkish football was beginning to have on the international stage. Since then, numerous world famous football stars have graced the Turkish league.
Nicolas Anelka, Mamadou Niang, Nani, Wesley Sneijder are among those esteemed players. However, the transfer record for the most high-priced player to join the Turkish Super Lig remains set at $13 million. Mbaye Diagne is the most recent example of a player to be transferred for this high of an amount, having joined Galata in 2019. The record is shared with Emmanuel Emenike and Arda Turan.
With that being said, it should be noted numerous high profile players have joined the league either on a free transfer or, originally, as part of a loan deal. Also, in many cases the agent fees, in some cases undisclosed, were part of the final transfer deal.
The fantasy Super Lig contests in FootballCoin
The game of FootballCoin can described, in a nutshell, as fantasy football game that mixes fantasy sports with the world of crytocurrency. The game’s engine is the system that has users choose their ultimate fantasy football draft. Those users that manage to assemble the best squad are rewarded with XFC prizes. The cryptocurrency of XFC can easily be called the game’s lifeblood as it can or needs to be used in all matters of the game.
All of the teams in the Turkish Super Lig, together with the members of their squads are included in FootballCoin. Games, sometimes all of them, other times merely a selection, are made available for contests in the game.
The system of fantasy football is created in such a way that it rewards the skills and knowledge of participants. The users get to act as real managers, choosing their squad selection, formation, strategy etc. The managers with the highest amount of knowledge, hence the best participation, are awarded XFC prizes. The way in which those prizes are awarded is decided prior to the start of the fantasy contest.
Who can make it into your fantasy football team?
FootballCoin plays host to the majority of the world’s best and most engaging football competitions. Whether it is the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga or Serie A, international competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League, all the registered squad members of those teams are part of the FootballCoin game. The Super Lig, being one of the elite football competitions, is included among that list of leagues featured in FootballCoin.
In keeping with the basic concept which we previously described, the FootballCoin users are able to choose any of those players representing one of the teams from the aforementioned leagues, provided that their team’s match is included in the contest.
Players receive a rating of up to 5*. This rating is based on their reputation and their overall achievements. Until the moment of writing, with a view to make certain changes, players that are ranked up to 2*, are free to be used by any of the managers in the game. For example, the players in the Super Lig have, until present, received a rating of up to 2* in an attempt to boost the interest for the league and assist the Turkish football community in joining the fantasy league. (It should be noted that changes to the game are expected to be enforced in 2019 by which a higher number of player will receive a 3*,4*,5* rating a new system of rewards may be introduced. The objective of this is to try and make the game more competitive and entertaining for the FootballCoin community).
Strategy for creating an optimal fantasy Super Lig side
Fans of the FootballCoin game will duly note that the game rewards football knowledge above everything else and not one single strategy in terms of squad assembly. Numerous strategies are employed. Many of the different versions of tactics are based on the manager’s desire to use free or collectible cards.
As previously mentioned, the majority of the players in the Turkish Super Lig are represented by free player cards. However, other leagues, including the EPL or Serie A, have a high number of players with a higher rating. These players are represented by collectible cards. The cards issued on the FootballCoin blockchain. In order for them to be used, the manager must be own the card in question. The card can be purchased from the internal FootballCoin, or it can be gifted. Future plans include the concept of player lease whereby managers will be able to effectively borrow a player card for it to be used for a short period of time.
In assisting the FootballCoin community, the team’s members aim to offer updated information consistently. For this purpose, content is created daily through the form of blog posts, podcasts, social media posts etc. The FootballCoin site also includes a fantasy scout section where players, including ones from the Super Lig are recommended by our panel of experts based on their potential, recent form etc.
Collectible card system in FootballCoin
In FootballCoin, the majority of the players listed which may be chosen for a draft are still free to be chosen by any of the users. While some minor changes may occur in the foreseeable future, the players from the Turkish Super Lig remain, as previously mentioned, for the most part within the free category.
There are players, however, that are listed as collectible player cards, just as there are stadiums that use the same system. These means that the cards have been issued on FootballCoin’s own blockchain. The cards are issued in a limited supply and are the property of the owners of the cards. In other words a card representing a player like Victor Moses or Arda Turan, must be purchases from the FootballCoin market initially. However, once the owner of the card has it in their account, they can do with the card as they please. They may sell it, keep it, find a way to trade it, using the cards in contests.
The benefit of owning collectible cards is that only you as the users and a handful of other users who are owners of the card, can use the player in a given contest. One card may be used for one contest. But, once the contest is over, the card can be used for all future contests in which there are matches that include the team for which the player is active in real life.
The motivation for using the collectible card system is twofold. On the one hand, it helps the gaming system operate easily. On the other hand, it speaks to the football fans’ mentality of wishing to own merchandise and memorabilia related to their favorite hobby.
What’s the deadline for choosing your Super Lig team?
The good news is that as opposed to other games such as the Fantasy Premier League, there are no restrictions when it comes to the transfer deadline. This means that a manager may choose an entirely different fantasy draft from one contest to another. This gives the managers additional freedom since they are able to adapt their choices from one week to another.
When registering to a contest, be it private or public, the users should also take note of the deadline for registration. Currently, managers are required to registered with at least 5 minutes ahead of the start of the very first match included in the contest. (Previously the deadline was 15 minutes). This means that once all the places in the fantasy football draft have been selected, the virtual manager needs to save his or her choices so that the team can be taken into account for the contest.
Once every single game in the contest has ended and the stats provider has offered the information, FootballCoin is able to round up the results for the contest in question. The managers who have created the best fantasy football drafts can be rewarded with prizes expressed in XFC, the official cryptocurrency of the game.
The fantasy Super Lig is free to play in FootballCoin
The FootballCoin contests offer prizes to the managers with the most amount of knowledge. And, while this will not change, playing the fantasy version of the Super Lig will remain free. The same goes for any of the football leagues featured in FootballCoin.
Creating an account on the FootballCoin platform is absolutely free. The account is the property of the owner, with FootballCoin exercising no control over it. The account may also act as a wallet in which the user can store their digital assets.
Registering for the majority of the contest featured in the game is free. FootballCoin organizes numerous free fantasy football contests representing all of the major leagues that are part of the game. Only some of the contests, the private ones created by other users, require that an entry fee, determined by the contest organizer, be paid prior to setting up the contest.
Similarly, the majority of player and stadium cards are free and can be used by any of the registered users. A small fraction of these are collectible cards and must be purchased from the game market, or from another user. While many top players and important stadiums are included, it should be noted that a large percentage of winning teams are created using only free to use players and a good deal of football knowledge, as well as sensible tactics.
The stadium cards and organizing contests
In keeping with the system employed for the collectible player cards, FootballCoin has also opted to have contests tied to the use of collectible stadium cards. Much like the player cards, each of these represents one stadium and presents its vital data.
The stadium are the venues for football matches and the stadium cards are the venues for fantasy football contests. Not all stadiums are created equal, as we know. And, so, the stadium cards are also provided a rating a system. This rating of up to 5* takes into account the stadium capacity, as well, in a smaller amount, the reputation and fame of the stadium.
Stadium cards are also divided into two categories. The free stadiums of up to 2* can be used by any of the FootballCoin users to create contests. These contests may include up to 11 participants, in keeping with the idea that these stadiums can include fewer people.
The stadiums ranked 3*,4*,5* need to be purchased using XFC from the game market. These cards allow you host private contests for a higher number of users. For example, a contest that is set up a stadium ranked 5* does not have any restriction in terms of the number of users that may join the contest.
Private contests are not only fun to hosts since users get to decide on what games are included. Setting up a contest may also turn out to be very profitable. The organizers receive a percentage from the entire prize pool that is collected for the contest.
Turkish Super Lig together with UCL, UEL and other top football competitions
The majority of existing games in the fantasy football niche focus on one or two football leagues. This is due to a number of factors, of course, including licensing, man-power needed to run them etc.
However, we can gladly report that FootballCoin includes most of what football fans would identify as the world’s best football leagues. The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga or Serie A fave been early additions to the fantasy football roster of FootballCoin.
In response to frequent requests, recently, FootballCoin has also made Major League Soccer and the Chinese Super League available in the game. FootballCoin strives to promote all contests involving these clubs.
When it comes to teams from the Turkish Super Lig, the complete squads of all teams participating in the league are made available for the entire FootballCoin season. However, these players may also have an involvement in other competitions, namely the Champions League, Europa League and, perhaps, even national team tournaments.
Turkish teams often qualify to the UEL and UCL and perform well there. A Turkish club that has achieved this will automatically have its roster of players available for both domestic and international contests.
Also, FootballCoin has included the 2018 World Cup among its contests and will consider adding future top rated international contests. Should Turkey, one of the top teams in the European region, qualify, then its players will make their way into the FootballCoin contest.
Collectible card value over time
The value of the collectible cards is determined solely by the market. The FootballCoin developers have no say in this regard. One promise that the team does keep is that the cards never become meaningless to the game. This is due to the game mechanics.
First of all, the game focuses on the idea of collectible elements. As the community grows, it is also highly likely that more and more people with become part of the trading movement. As with any community bragging rights about one’s results and collection are very important.
Secondly, the Assistant Manager option guarantees that cards will always have a worth in the game. The Assistant Manager position refers to players that have either passed the age of 35, have retired, or are active in a league that is not featured in FootballCoin. These players remain helpful to the manager as they can be used in the AM position and gather points in a contest based on their ranking. For example, the top rated Assistant Managers, ranked 5*, receive 15 points automatically in any contest for which they have been chosen.
The cards will also continue to be available on the market with owners being able to place it on the market and determine the value they wish to sell it for. The new market options will also include options for auctioning players cards, leasing cards, selling/buying etc.
What about the transfer dealing in the Turkish Super Lig?
The Turkish Super Lig includes a transfer deadline date, as do the other leagues in Europe. This is the period in which clubs are free to buy and sell players. For the last season, the deadline was decided to be between 17 June to 2 September 2019.
FootballCoin, as opposed to the majority of fantasy football games, does not include an actual deadline. Since this is a daily fantasy game, drafts are created for each new contest. This gives managers the opportunity to improve and test their skills with each new event.
The transfer deadline is, however, reflected in the squads that are presented in the game of FootballCoin. Rosters are routinely updated to reflect the latest changes in terms of squads. Information for players is routinely changed from transfer window to another. In this way, we can ensure that what what happens in the fantasy football game reflects what happens on the football pitch.
FootballCoin’s vision for the future and the involvement of the Super Lig
FootballCoin’s vision remains the same, creating a bridge between the worlds of cryptocurrency, blockchain and fantasy sports. With each passing contest and with each new user, FootballCoin moves closer towards reaching this goal.
If recent history is any indicator, the Turkish Super Lig will continue to expand, becoming ever more popular in Turkey and abroad. FootballCoin has complete faith in the development of Turkish football. For this reason, the Super Lig remains one of the leagues that will remain a priority in the game as time goes on.
