Former Rangers fan favourite Daniel Candeias could be relegated from the Super Lig with Genclerbirligi as the Turkish club’s dire run of form continues.
Many supporters were disappointed when Candeias left the Gers for Gençler in 2019 after making 97 appearances over two seasons, scoring 14 goals and notching 25 assists.
(Photo by Maria Jose Segovia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
He quickly established himself as a regular at the Ankara-based club and despite a few hairy moments, helped them to a respectable 12th-place finish in his first season.
Individually, the 33-year-old had a good first half of the current campaign, too.
He scored four goals and contributed a number of assists, while he was rated as the top performing overseas Portuguese player of the weekend – above the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo – based on a particularly strong showing against Kayserispor in December.
However, following a 3-1 win over Hatayspor in early January, things went downhill rapidly.
A defeat to ten-man Gaziantep on Monday stretched Gençler’s winless run in the Super Lig to ten matches. They have picked up just two points in that time while suffering heavy defeats to Galatasaray, Goztepe and Besiktas.
Candeias has started nine of those ten matches but hasn’t managed to produce a goal or an assist in his last eleven.
The abysmal run of form has left Gençler bottom of the table.
Based on their current form, it’s hard to see relegation being avoided. Yet, they are still only five points from safety with a game in hand on 17th-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.
If they are to turn things around and beat the drop, Candeias, who is out of contract in the summer, may have to step up with some big performances.
Meanwhile, a player who was linked with a move to Rangers ahead of the January transfer window is on fire after securing a loan switch to a Premier League club.