FeatureIstanbul diary: A legend in our midst, 2005 nostalgia, Hugo's homework and unexpected rain
Our first European away travel diary of the season is here. See the story so far of Liverpoolfc.com’s trip to cover the Reds’ Champions League visit to Istanbul to face Galatasaray…
MONDAY
9am, Liverpool: A new season of European travel adventures begins today and it is an early start for the LFC media crew heading to Turkiye. By 9am, we’re all checked in at John Lennon Airport ahead of the staff flight. While Arne Slot and his 21-man travelling squad will fly to Istanbul later on (after their matchday-minus-one session at the AXA Training Centre), we’re joined by Liverpool’s U19s players and staff, who meet Galatasaray in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday afternoon (All Red Video Members can watch the game live here).
Also aboard is an all-time club great: former goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who made 628 appearances and won six league titles, one European Cup, three FA Cups and three League Cups. Legend.
4pm, Istanbul: After a comfortable three-and-a-half-hour flight, we touch down in Turkiye. It’s raining heavily (looks like I won’t be needing that sun cream that was packed more in hope than expectation…) and, an hour or so later, we’re on the way to our hotel.
The streets here seem to be in a permanent state of gridlock and a 20-mile journey takes well over an hour. It’ll be a quick turnaround for us before heading back out to RAMS Park to hear from Slot and Hugo Ekitike, who will be speaking at the pre-match press conference.
8pm, Istanbul: A first glimpse of Galatasaray’s home stadium and it’s impressive. While our base is the press conference room, I venture pitchside for a quick look and the Champions League music happens to be playing in preparation for tomorrow night. Consider my appetite well and truly whetted.
Slot and Ekitike answer questions from the media, with the head coach underscoring his respect for the challenge awaiting his team against the reigning champions of Turkiye.
“Their loss against [Eintracht] Frankfurt [on matchday one], I have watched that game and for me they were very, very, very unlucky in that game,” notes the boss.
“The chances they gave away were only small and it was either the quality of Frankfurt or little bit of bad luck for Galatasaray that they conceded five because if they play the same game again, they will never, ever, ever concede five goals again in that same game because they played much better than the 5-1 showed.”
There’s a chance for a pitchside chat with Ekitike, too, who reveals he has been doing some extra-curricular homework ahead of the 8pm BST kick-off tonight...
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We finish up filing our stories for Liverpoolfc.com and head back to the hotel for a late, light supper with the local time, two hours ahead of home in the UK, now moving towards midnight.
TUESDAY
9am, Istanbul: On that note, the game does not get under way until 10pm in Istanbul, and so we have some time to explore a city that is, of course, synonymous with the words ‘Liverpool in the Champions League’.
Twenty years later and the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ still feels no less miraculous. Logistics make a pilgrimage to the stage of the fairy tale – the Ataturk Stadium, which is located on the outskirts of this enormous metropolis – impossible.
But world-famous spots like Taksim Square and the Blue Mosque are more realistic targets and thankfully, the sun is shining today too (maybe that sun cream will be needed after all…). Afterwards, it’ll be back into work mode and another trip to RAMS Park for the main event of the trip.
Stick with Liverpoolfc.com and, from 4pm BST, Match Centre for our live coverage of the contest. Three points please, Reds!