Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, Chelsea to play for Soma

ISTANBUL

The game will mark former Galatasaray ace Drogba’s return to Turkey. AFP Photo

Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Chelsea will play in a charity tournament on Aug. 8 at Istanbul’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium for the victims’ families of the Soma mining disaster. 

The three teams will each play two games on a night of three 45-minute matches.

All of the income from the game will go to the families of the victims of the Soma disaster, the deadliest mining accident in the history of Turkey, where 301 workers lost their lives on May 13.

Host Fenerbahçe will start against Istanbul rival Beşiktaş at 8:30 p.m. tonight. The Yellow Canaries will then take on Chelsea at 9:30 p.m. while the end of the evening will finish with a match between Chelsea and Beşiktaş at 10:30 p.m.

Tickets are priced at 50, 100 and 160 Turkish liras.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said the London club is happy to be a part of this event.

“Taking part in this tournament is important, if you can call it a tournament; you can call it human solidarity,” he told Chelsea TV. “Chelsea is there to show that football can make a difference and make an impact.

“Football is always ready all over the world, people meet for different causes, but normally football players and clubs are always ready to help.

“Playing in Istanbul is always emotional, it’s always a competitive atmosphere, I’m sure all the players will be very happy to do their part for this great show of human solidarity.”

In another exhibition game played for the families of the Soma victims, Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid played out a goalless draw on Aug. 6 in İzmir’s Atatürk Stadium.

The game marked Atletico Madrid’s Turkish star Arda Turan facing his boyhood club Galatasaray for the first time.