Istanbul giants Galatasaray are to appoint the assistant head coach of the Turkish national team, Hamza Hamzaoglu, as their new manager after sacking Italian Cesare Prandelli, Turkish media said Friday.
Club officials have confirmed the parting of company with Prandelli after less than a half season in charge due to its disastrous Champions League showing, although Galatasaray has yet to issue an official statement.
Hamzaoglu has since 2013 worked with Turkey under national coach Fatih Terim and the Hurriyet daily said the decision was taken after talks with Terim himself.
Fans of the club will be hoping Hamzaoglu can emulate Terim, who managed the club in one of its most dominant periods from 1996-2000, when it clinched Turkey’s first ever European club trophy winning the UEFA cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Arsenal in 2000.
The Galatasaray post has since become one of the most revolving-door jobs in world football with a dozen managers coming and going after 2000.
The club’s board took the decision to part company with Prandelli after its 2-0 defeat to Anderlecht in the Champions League on Wednesday night which ended any hopes of reaching the last-16.
Prandelli had arrived at the club only in July, succeeding fellow Italian Roberto Mancini, after failing to steer Italy into the knock-out stages of the World Cup as national manager.
He was on a two-year deal with Galatasaray worth at least 2.3 million euros ($2.9 million) a year. The size of his severance payment is not yet clear.
Galatasaray’s woeful Champions League form saw them pick up just one point in Group D and suffer defeats to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund.
His departure leaves in doubt the future of several of its top players, including Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder.