Belgians Astonished Ahead of Galatasaray-Union Saint-Gilloise Match! They Spent €150 Million: 45 Million Fans

Our representative in the Champions League, Galatasaray, will go up against Union Saint-Gilloise at home this evening. Before the match, which starts at 8:45 PM, the Yellow-Reds sit in 9th place with 9 points, while the Belgian side is in 28th place with 3 points.

Ahead of the match between the two teams, the Belgian press has focused all its attention on this fixture. De Morgen, one of the country's leading newspapers, used striking expressions in its analysis about our representative. Here is that analysis:

"Last summer, Union’s Champions League opponent, Galatasaray, spent almost €150 million in the transfer market. But how can a club with a low standing in the European rankings afford such huge sums?"

"The giants of the Turkish Süper Lig have always been known as a haven for stars in the late stages of their careers. Think of names like Didier Drogba, Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie, and, of course, Dries Mertens. The Belgian player spent the last three years of his career in Istanbul."

"For the three major Istanbul-based clubs—Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş—competitive wages were usually not a problem. However, things are different now. In the past summer transfer window, the Süper Lig became the third-highest net transfer spending league in world football. The Turkish league only trailed the English Premier League and the Saudi Pro League."

"Yet, the sustainability of the current spending policy is debatable. Galatasaray, whose goal is not only success in Turkey but also to have a say in Europe, last reached a European quarter-final in 2013; before that, one has to go back to 2001. In recent years, they have been eliminated by teams such as Rangers, Sparta Prague, and AZ Alkmaar."

"Despite having a modern stadium with a capacity of 53,000 and a massive fan base, estimated to be between 30 and 45 million thanks to the diaspora, the club ranks only 46th in the UEFA coefficient rankings. They are one step above Union but behind teams like Bodo/Glimt or Olympiakos."

"Excluding the heavy 5-1 defeat in Frankfurt, this season’s Champions League adventure is progressing smoothly. It could be said that the more aggressive transfer strategy is bearing fruit. Or will their opponent tonight, Union, prove otherwise, having spent €131 million less than Galatasaray in the last transfer window?"