Besiktas chasing football talents in Netherlands

By Emrah Oktay

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish football club Besiktas signed a cooperation deal with the Netherlands' Fortuna Sittard Thursday to explore new talents of Turkish origin in Europe.

Under the deal inked in Istanbul, Fortuna Sittard from the Dutch province of Limburg will undertake Besiktas' trials in Europe every year.

A number of 2,000 male and female teens will be put into record as the applications will start on Jan. 20 and end on March 15.

Male applicants are required to be aged 14-17, while the required age range is 16-19 for females.

The application announcements will be published online in Turkish, German, French and Dutch languages.

The trials will be held at Fortuna Sittard club premises between on April 10-12.

Besiktas have been speeding up talent hunt to include promising youngsters in their football academy.

Chaired by a Turkish national Isitan Gun, Fortuna Sittard had 10 Turkish players in the club history.

A former Dutch defensive midfielder, Mark van Bommel, 42, is still the most famous Fortuna Sittard product, who played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan in 2000s.

Van Bommel was the 2010 FIFA World Cup silver medalist.

He won the 2006 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.

Van Bommel is one of the most successful Dutch football players, winning domestic titles in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Italy.

In addition to four Dutch league titles with PSV, van Bommel won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in Germany and one with Barcelona and AC Milan for each.