The reigning Süper Lig champions Trabzonspor dealt yet another harsh blow in their European away campaign as they were defeated 2-0 by Switzerland's Basel in the UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round second-leg tie on Thursday, prolonging their dismal run of form away from home.
The Black Sea Storm entered the second leg of their match with an advantageous edge, having managed to eke out a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture last Thursday.
Unfortunately, Abdullah Avcı's side was left with broken hearts when they could not summon their mojo and capitalize on their advantage.
Trabzonspor, who won their last away win in European cups against Greece's AEK team in the UEFA Europa League play-off round on Aug. 22, 2019, with a 3-1 result, have not managed to be the best version of themselves away from the Turkish soil.
Since then, the Burgundy-Blues have endured a humiliating run, enduring nine defeats and managing to salvage only 1 point from a draw in 10 matches.
As unbelievable as it may seem, Trabzonspor have had an unprecedented 1281-day winless streak away on European soil and unfortunately, the run will have to continue.
The 2-0 defeat in Switzerland has further marred coach Abdullah Avcı's resume, as his tenure at Trabzonspor's helm has yielded a disappointing six losses and one draw.
The Black Sea Storm have managed to salvage a bit of pride under the leadership of Avcı, with a 1-1 draw against Norway's Molde in the UEFA European Conference League qualifying round.
Trabzonspor have already suffered a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Roma in the play-off round of the UEFA European Conference League.
This season proved to be just as disheartening as previous ones as they lost 2-1 in the first match away in Copenhagen in the Champions League play-off round, 3-2 against Ferencvaros in Hungary in the opening match of the UEFA Europa League Group H, and 3-1 to French representative Monaco in the third match.
Serbia's Red Star team also defeated them 2-1 on the road.
With Trabzonspor returning home with their spirits low, Fenerbahçe will luxuriate in their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, having emerged as victors in the group stages.
Meanwhile, Istanbul Başakşehir and Sivasspor will assess their prospects in the UEFA Europa Conference League, eager to make their mark on the European stage.
