GALATASARAY BOUNCE BACK AMID TURKISH TRAGEDY

Despite familiar champions Galatasaray storming to a record 23rd league title, the 2022-23 Turkish Super Lig season was like no other

- Henry Flynn

First, there was chaos and heartbreak across the country itself. Less than four months before citizens voted in momentous presidential elections, an earthquake hit Turkey's southeast in February, leaving the nation, and the wider world, in shock.

The former Ghana winger Christian Atsu, then playing for Hatayspor, was among thousands who tragically lost their lives. The tears and tributes poured in, and the league halted mid-season.

In one sense, the campaign's completion was a story. After the earthquake the football hiatus lasted three weeks, with the action resuming before March. But for the league, there were still challenges.

Two affected top-flight sides, Hatayspor - with their damaged stadium becoming a homeless shelter - and Gaziantep pulled out from the championship. After the Turkish football federation authorised their exits, it agreed to reinstate them next season but faced shorter-term uncertainty with postponed fixtures.