Victorious Beşiktaş coach sets eye on higher goals

Beşiktaş coach Şenol Güneş, who earned himself a special place in Beşiktaş's record book by becoming the only Turkish coach to clinch the domestic title with the Black Eagles in back-to-back seasons on May 28, has set higher goals for the Black Eagles. 

"We are the team that plays the second-best football in the country, but the first team has not emerged yet," Güneş said after Beşiktaş retained the Turkish Super Lig title, thrashing a relegated Gaziantepspor of the southeastern province of Gaziantep 4-0 away to secure the crown, their 15th overall.

"Beşiktaş has greater goals on its agenda," Güneş said, with the upcoming Champions League challenge on his mind. 

Dutch striker Ryan Babel scored an early opener in Gaziantep with Oğuzhan Özyakup following with another six minutes from half-time.

Anderson Talisca added a double to the tally in the second half.

"We have overcome difficulties and we did it as a team," Talisca told reporters after the game. 

Quaresma in love

An injured Ricardo Quaresma said after the game that they "played big and struggled big."

"The fans are in love with me and I am in love with them," he said.

Last season, the Black Eagles won their first Turkish title since 2009. But they had not retained the title since the early 1990s when they famously won three in a row in 1990, 1991 and 1992 under English manager Gordon Milne, who remains a legend in the country.

With the title, Beşiktaş also claimed Turkey's sole automatic Champions League spot and will hope for a drastic improvement on its group-stage exit last time round.

The draw for the group stage will take place in Monaco on Aug. 24, with the first matches to be played on...