Galatasaray must make Champions League sacrifice to win league, insists Carvalhal

12-Mar-2013 10:00:00 PM

The former Besiktas man says the Turkish giants' success in the title race depends on how far they can go in the Champions League

Former Besiktas coach Carlos Carvalhal believes Galatasaray are jeopardising their chances of securing the Super Lig if they continue their extended run in Europe.

The Turkish club go into Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Schalke in Germany with the scores tied at 1-1, and Carvalhal says if they end up managing to get through the tie, it could harm their chances of domestic success.

"If Galatasaray beat Schalke in the Champions League and reach the quarter-finals they may drop points in the league, but if they are eliminated they will finish this season as champions again," he told reporters

It is tight at the top in the Super Lig with only a handful of points separating Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce, and the 47-year-old, who was sacked last April by Besiktas, believes they have the upper hand in the title race as they can put all their focus onto one competition.

He added: "Besiktas have an advantage in the race for the championship because they only have the league to concentrate on.”

Galatasaray lead the way after 25 Super Lig games on 47 points, with Besiktas and Fenerbahce chasing them on 43.

Inside Goal.Com

Player Ratings: Dortmund 1-2 Bayern
Goal.com rates the players on show as die Roten edge out their Bundesliga rivals to complete the double after a closely contested Champions League final at Wembley
Neymar's choice: How he saw all this coming
Santos' star forward spoke to Goal's Sebastian Garcia a year ago about the fight for his services between Spain's two top teams and his insight was revealing
Transfer Talk: Read all the gossips
The Goal.com Rumour Mill is your 24/7 source for all the latest rumblings in the global transfer market.
Goal Special: I-League Team of the Season
Each of Goal's correspondents select their own XI, before eventually settling on a combined team, which represents the best of the lot from the 2012-13 season...
Top 10 all-time Champions League scorers
As the competition moves within days of its much-anticipated conclusion at Wembley, Goal profiles the most prolific players in its history