Spor Toto Super League

Spor Toto Super League club Gençlerbirliği coach Ümit Özat has once again found himself in hot water for his remarks, saying he would never speak badly of a former club “even if it were a Jewish team.”

Last season’s runner-up Başakşehir made the best of Galatasaray’s flop in the Spor Toto Super League, claiming the top with a 1-0 win against Osmanlıspor on Dec 3.

Defending Spor Toto Super League champion Beşiktaş grabbed a commencing 3-0 victory against Galatasaray in an Istanbul derby on Dec. 2, cutting the gap with its archrival to three points and putting coach Igor Tudor’s job in jeopardy.

Fenerbahçe failed to clinch its first league win of the season as it was held to a 2-2 draw at home by Trabzonspor on Aug. 20.

Trabzonspor started the Spor Toto Super League second week match with a goal when striker Burak Yılmaz took advantage and scored after Juraj Kucka's chip over Fenerbahçe's defense in the fifth minute.

Prosecutors in the Mediterranean province of Antalya have ordered the detention of 72 fans who have allegedly been involved in violence on charges of "organized crime" during a game between Göztepespor and Eskişehirspor on June 4 to qualify for the top-tier football league.

Galatasaray has signed West Ham United winger Sofiane Feghouli on a five-year contract for 4.25 million euros ($5 million), the Istanbul club announced on Aug. 14.

The 27-year-old Algeria international spent one season at West Ham after joining the Premier League club on a three-year deal from La Liga side Valencia last year.

Defending champion Beşiktaş made a winning start to the new Spor Toto Super League season by beating Antalyaspor 2-0, while city rival Fenerbahçe was held to a 2-2 draw at newcomer Göztepe over the weekend.

Another newcomer, Malatyaspor, made its debut on the top flight with a 3-1 victory over Osmanlıspor on Aug. 13, while Alanyaspor lost 3-1 at home to Kasımpaşa on Aug. 12.

Istanbul club Başakşehir was pitted against Spain's Sevilla in the Champions League playoff stage in a draw on Aug. 4.

Başakşehir, the runner-up in the Spor Toto Super League last season, will play the first game on Aug. 15 or 16 in Istanbul, while the return leg in Sevilla is scheduled for the following week.

Beşiktaş has rejected a proposal by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for the team's coach to manage the national team for the four remaining matches of the 2018 World Cup qualification.

Göztepe became the third team to advance next season to Spor Toto Super League with a 4-3 win over Eskişehirspor in a penalty-shootout on June 4 at Antalya Stadium, ending its 14-year longing for the top flight action.