England just a joke to Turkey

The England players' strike threat was today dismissed in Istanbul as a "joke".

The hosts were laughing off the story as just another example of what they believe to be English mind games designed to unsettle them before Saturday's crucial match.

Can Cobanoglu, the Turkish team's general manager, said they had no doubt that Sven-Goran Eriksson and his team would arrive on schedule in Istanbul tomorrow.

He sounded exasperated about having to respond to the latest in a series of controversial tales emanating from the England camp as he told Standard Sport: "I don't believe anything that comes from England at the moment. They will all be here tomorrow and they will play.

"Tomorrow, I know there will be a new story, a new adventure that I am asked to respond to. But it's a joke and we're just not interested. We just want to make the match, win the game and go to Portugal."

As the Turkish players went through a leisurely training session at the Besiktas complex this morning, the relaxed air seemed a complete contrast to the turbulent events still unfolding in England.

The Turks had already been laughing about the Rio Ferdinand drugs scandal. Cobanoglu, however, revealed that the team weren't laughing at Ferdinand's misfortune - but, rather, at the never-ending supply of controversial tales emerging from the opposition camp.

Asked how the team reacted to news that Ferdinand had been dropped from the squad for Saturday's match because he had failed to take a drugs test, Cobanoglu said: "They could only laugh because all they are hearing from England are stories like this.