Turkish national soccer team coach Fatih Terim is hopeful that his players will do well at the European Soccer Cup finals to be played in June.

The national team coach told The New Anatolian he is encouraged by the good form displayed by the Turkish players especially in Galatasaray and Fenerbahce and the excellent performances of Turkish players in European clubs.

He said his players had done well in European clubs in Italy, Spain, Germany and England.

He also said the good performance of the players in Galatasaray was highly encouraging.

He was speaking at a ceremony at the Italian Embassy in Ankara where he was presented a medal for his services awarded by the Italian Government.

Terim, who coached the Turks at Euro 1996 before leading Galatasaray to the UEFA Cup title in 2000, is the man most Turkish fans believe can lead the country to its first major success in the European tournament, observers say.

"We are living everything in its extreme form: happiness and sadness, victories and losses," Terim said recently. "It's hard to carry this burden on our shoulders."

Since retiring as a player, Terim has seen the best and worst as a coach.

After Euro 1996, when Turkey finished last in its group with three straight losses, Terim led Galatasaray to Turkey's first European club title in the UEFA Cup. He followed that by moving to Fiorentina, where his success in Serie A led him to the top job at AC Milan.

Terim lasted only nine games with Milan in 2001 before being replaced by Carlo Ancelotti. But Terim returned to Galatasaray for a couple of sub-par seasons before taking over the national team once again in 2005.

The team Terim inherited was on the decline after having reached the semifinals at the 2002 World Cup. Turkey failed to qualify for Euro 2004, and then lost to Switzerland in a tense playoff for a spot in the 2006 World Cup.