Fans clash as Galatasaray lift Turkish title
Galatasaray lifted the Turkish title for the 18th time on Saturday after a goalless draw saw them deny rivals Fenerbahce, but crowd trouble marred the occasion as tensions escalated amid an enquiry into alleged match-fixing.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: May 13, 2012 08:12 AM IST
Galatasaray lifted the Turkish title for the 18th time on Saturday after a goalless draw saw them deny rivals Fenerbahce, but crowd trouble marred the occasion as tensions escalated amid an enquiry into alleged match-fixing.
Flag-waving Galatasaray fans greeted their success with a noisy concert of klaxons as thousands descended on Istanbul's Taksim thoroughfare.
But riot police had to deploy water cannon and tear gas to separate rival groups of fans as they exited Fenerbache's Sukru Saracoglu as emotions threatened to get out of hand, the Anatolia news agency reported.
During the afternoon, three Fenerbache supporters were hurt in clashes and another person in an incident between Galatasaray fans and Greek supporters in town to follow Euroleage basketball action, Anatolia reported.
Istanbul was hosting that encounter Sunday between Greek side Olympiakos and Russia's CSKA Moscow.
The traditional rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce has been underscored this season by the investigation into match-fixing.
Fenerbache won the title but the ongoing investigation, which saw the club's chairman remanded in custody, saw Turkey's Football Federation withdraw them from the Champions League.