Fenerbahçe continue preparations for derby against Beşiktaş

Fenerbahçe have begun preparations for their home derby against Beşiktaş, scheduled for Saturday, September 5, in the fourth week of the Trendyol Süper Lig. Under head coach İsmail Kartal, the session at the Can Bartu Facilities opened indoors with core and endurance exercises. The squad then moved onto the pitch for warm-up, agility and coordination drills, followed by passing exercises. Training concluded with individual work for the players.

Before the session, a notable event took place as Anthony Taylor, the Elite Referee Director of the Turkish Central Referee Board (MHK), delivered a UEFA Referee Seminar to Fenerbahçe's coaching staff and players. Fenerbahçe are set to continue their preparations today.

Billed as a clash between the league's two strongest title contenders, the derby in Kadıköy is shaping up to be a genuine battle of star names. Fenerbahçe's squad already features Asensio, Skriniar, Ake, Kante, Ederson and Guendouzi, and with the additions of Lukaku and Greenwood this season, the club's total squad value has risen to 293.2 million euros.

Beşiktaş, who in recent seasons fell out of the title race early, have taken a different approach this time. Under new coach Vincenzo Italiano, the Black-and-Whites brought in experienced names such as Salih Özcan, Nübel, Trossard, Miretti and Vlahovic alongside Orkun Kökçü, pushing their squad value to 264 million euros. The most valuable player across both squads is Fenerbahçe's Mason Greenwood, valued at 55 million euros, while Beşiktaş's top asset is Dusan Vlahovic at 35 million euros. According to reports, the combined value of both squads exceeds 31 billion Turkish lira.