<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Galatarasay.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Galatarasay.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-140256" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20150522_WST_140138_Galatarasay-600x337.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=337" alt="Galatarasay" width="600" height="337" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/05/Galatarasay-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/05/Galatarasay-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/05/Galatarasay-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/05/Galatarasay.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure></div>
Match fixing allegations from Galatasaray’s game played&nbsp;last weekend threaten to mar the 2014/15 Turkish Super Lig.
First, the&nbsp;backstory.
When Besiktas Chairman Suleyman Seba died before this season started, the Turkish Football Federation was quick to name this season in his honor.&nbsp; Seba was considered a highly respected member of the soccer&nbsp;community in Turkey.&nbsp; He was seen as a paragon of virtue in sport.&nbsp; He was not only seen as the quintessential Besiktas man by fans of that club, but even fans of rival clubs held him in great esteem.&nbsp; Unfortunately, this season may have put his famous quote, said back in 1993 when Besiktas lost the league title to Galatasaray on the final day of the 1992-93 season, back into the spotlight:
<blockquote>“It is better to finish an honorable second than a tainted first.” Suleyman Seba, Besiktas chairman 1982-2000.</blockquote>
This past Saturday, Galatasaray was hosting Genclerbirligi in week 32 of this season’s Turkish Super League.&nbsp; Galatasaray would go on to win the match 1-0 with a goal in the 67th minute from Wesley Sneijder.&nbsp; The goal itself would be the subject of controversy.&nbsp; Videos <a href="https:\/\/vine.co/v/eKY0guA6WIx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on Vine</a> showed Genclerbirligi goalkeeper Ferhat Kaplan leaping to his left, trying to recover, but the ball went&nbsp;in. Accusations were made that Kaplan intentionally let the ball go in so that Galatasaray could win the game. From the video, it looks like Kaplan jerked his hand back and didn’t completely outstretch his arm to make a decent attempt to save the ball.
Another <a href="https:\/\/vine.co/v/eKYX9uIhgla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video on Vine</a> that wasn’t so widespread was an offside trap attempted earlier on in the second half of the game. When Yasin Oztekin was attacking from the right and going into the penalty area, he made the pass to Umut Bulut.&nbsp; While the Genclerbirligi defenders seemed to get out of the way, presumably to execute an offside trap, they failed to realize that a fellow defender was keeping Bulut onside. &nbsp;Some people&nbsp;implied that the Genclerbirligi defenders intentionally got out of the way so that Bulut could score, even though Bulut would whiff the attempt.
<div class="ckeditor-em"><iframe loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/vine.co/v/eKY0guA6WIx/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><script src="https:\/\/platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script>
When the match was over, the match fixing allegations came from all sides.&nbsp; Besiktas forward Demba Ba tweeted that “some people in this world must really be ashamed” after the match was over.&nbsp; Another tweet came from TV pundit and former referee Ahmet Cakar, who found the goal to be strange and asked why Kaplan was pulling back his hand on the goal.&nbsp; Bilal Niyaz, who plays for fourth tier side Bergama Belediyespor, tweeted that he was ashamed to play soccer&nbsp;in the country, and that anyone who doesn’t think this match was fixed should <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/NiyazBilal93/status/599649868651585536" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feel the wrath of God</a>.&nbsp; Moestapha El Kabir favorited a tweet sent his way in Dutch saying that his team tried, but that his team’s keeper and Bogdan Stancu should be ashamed of themselves. El Kabir would later remove <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ata_dizdar/status/599971685035417600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the tweet</a> from his favorites. &nbsp;Various publications in Europe, from Dutch publications to English papers, picked up on the video and were quick to ask whether the fix was in or not.
With the widespread accusations of the match being fixed, Genclerbirligi went into pseudo-damage control mode.&nbsp; Club chairman Ilhan Cavcav put a gag order on the club’s players to stop them from&nbsp;speaking with the media after the game was over.&nbsp; Cavcav mentioned to Turkish newspaper Haberturk that Kaplan “could’ve reached out better” for the ball and that Kaplan “is an honest goalkeeper and has character”.&nbsp; However, earlier in the day on a sports program, Cavcav mentioned that if his team couldn’t be champions, <a href="https:\/\/vine.co/v/eK0XW9dMD0K" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Galatasaray should be champions</a>.&nbsp; With these words from Cavcav, many people were quick to accuse him that he&nbsp;intentionally had his team “throw”&nbsp;the match.&nbsp; In an era post-2011 match fixing case, every word coming out of the mouths of various soccer&nbsp;officials gets scrutinized.&nbsp; Cavcav would later say his words were taken out of context, but he had admitted before that he was a fan of Galatasaray growing up and was a fan of that club currently.
Much of the world, at least on the Internet, started questioning the legitimacy of Galatasaray’s win over Genclerbirligi once the word spread over social media.&nbsp; However, some who have followed the league closely over the last couple of months have started to question some of the results Galatasaray have gotten compared to their rivals.&nbsp; One particular point of discussion is the play of certain teams from Anatolia going up against the Istanbul big 3.&nbsp; The accusations are that these Anatolian teams tend to play their usual game against Besiktas and Fenerbahce, while not trying so hard against Galatasaray.&nbsp; Others have made accusations that the Turkish Football Federation and the referees have been “protecting” Galatasaray, and point out that no Galatasaray player has seen a red card this season as evidence of this.&nbsp; One example that is immediately pointed out is the antics of Galatasaray midfielder Felipe Melo.&nbsp; In last week’s match, there were two instances of Melo’s cleat making contact with the opposing players’ feet that could have warranted a direct red card.
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Perhaps the most obvious questioning of legitimacy of a Galatasaray win, before this past weekend, was back in March in week 25 when Galatasaray beat Kasimpasa 3-2.&nbsp; While a comeback from a 2-0 halftime deficit is always possible regardless of any league, some have questioned the legitimacy of how it was done.&nbsp; The first point of debate was the half time break for this game, as the halftime period was 25 minutes instead of the usual fifteen.&nbsp; In the laws of the game, only the referee can extend the halftime break as he sees fit.&nbsp; But there has never been an explanation as to why the half time break was extended. When Galatasaray&nbsp;scored two goals to&nbsp;tie the match, both goals&nbsp;came from attacks from the left flank.&nbsp; The Kasimpasa defender covering that flank was Veysel Sari, a right back who was transferred to Kasimpasa from Galatasaray late last summer.&nbsp; When Sari was substituted in the 87th minute, Sari left to a barrage of boos.&nbsp; Kasimpasa fans immediately accused him of fixing the match for&nbsp;Galatasaray.&nbsp; Fans of Galatasaray’s rivals also accused him via social media of intentionally allowing&nbsp;the attacks that&nbsp;led to Galatasaray two goals early on in the second half.&nbsp; The goals came in the 52nd and 55th minute respectively.&nbsp; Coincidentally at that substitution, Galatasaray club official Abdurrahim Albayrak started to feel under the weather and had to be seen by a team doctor.&nbsp; Social media in Turkey, however, posted pictures of Albayrak looking fine the following day, leading to suspicions that he may have been involved in a fix during the game.&nbsp; These allegations were quickly forgotten.
For Galatasaray, winning the title and the group stage berth into the UEFA Champions League that comes along with it isn’t a requirement. It’s a necessity.&nbsp; The club has a total debt of around or a little over 800 million Turkish lira ($308 million) according to recent reports.&nbsp; Granted, Besiktas have been reported to have more total debt, but they have the ready excuse that they are currently rebuilding Inonu Stadium with their own funds, and their debt should decrease after the stadium construction concludes and the new ground opens.&nbsp; Galatasaray’s stadium was built with&nbsp;taxpayer dollars. And speaking of taxes, Galatasaray also owes around 140 million Turkish lira ($54 million) in back taxes.
Should Galatasaray not qualify for the Champions League, it could spell financial disaster.&nbsp; Galatasaray is also under a UEFA Financial Fair Play settlement, which will last until the end of next season. &nbsp;It’s quite possible that they will not be able to uphold the terms of the settlement, thereby subjecting them to various sanctions from UEFA.
Going back to the Galatasaray-Genclerbirligi match, the accusations have provided a dark cloud over Turkish soccer. Granted, the 2011 match fixing case provided another dark cloud, but all the decisions from a sporting standpoint have been rendered.&nbsp; In terms of the legalities, the suspects who were initially found guilty in the now abolished “special authority courts” are now being retried due to abrogation of due process.
The match itself fed into the thoughts of some fans that the season has been set up for Galatasaray to be champions.&nbsp; In an age where every play is scrutinized, rightly or wrongly, due to the effects of the 2011 match fixing case, the suspicious play surrounding this match does nothing to change the minds of those who believe that match fixing is still prevalent in Turkish soccer.&nbsp; In fact, those people who believe that seem to think that some clubs are allowed to bend the rules, while others play by the rules yet get accused of breaking them.
When the match fixing case broke out in the summer of 2011, people were demanding that the Turkish Football Federation “clean up” soccer&nbsp;in the country.&nbsp; Because of the controversy surrounding the Galatasaray-Genclerbirligi match, the question now being asked is whether the&nbsp;TFF wants to clean up the game.&nbsp; In a season named after one of Turkish football’s most respected club officials in recent memory, his most famous quote may be in the spotlight once again.&nbsp; It may have more relevance today than it did when he first said it years ago.
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Match fixing allegations in Galatasaray game cast a dark shadow - World Soccer Talk

Match fixing allegations in Galatasaray game cast a dark shadow

<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/besiktas-liverpool.png"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/besiktas-liverpool.png"></a></figure></div>
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers did not look for excuses after his side lost to Besiktas on penalties on their return to the Ataturk Stadium.
The Istanbul stadium was the venue for their famous 2005 Champions League victory, also on penalties, but there was no repeat this time as Dejan Lovren missed the decisive last kick as the hosts won the shoot-out 5-4 after Tolgay Arslan had leveled the aggregate score in normal time.
"We are disappointed of course to go out in the manner we did," said Rodgers.
"I thought we created opportunities in the first half and over the course of the game we defended very well. We just got too deep and they scored.
"I am proud of the players, the young players have had a great experience in a fantastic atmosphere.
"We were missing a lot of our creativity this evening (Liverpool had eight senior players missing) but there is no excuse.
"We played a lot of young players, we played with two strikers, so it was an attacking line-up and then once Besiktas get the goal we didn&apos;t create so much.
"It was a tight game but we just failed to take the opportunities we had.
"When you are away from home the objective is to keep a clean sheet.
"Our objective this season was to win a cup. It is not to be in this competition but we have an excellent opportunity in another competition (the FA Cup)."
Rodgers had sympathy for Lovren, who has not enjoyed the best start to his career at Anfield after joining for £20million from Southampton in the summer.
"Dejan was happy to take a penalty – you see the five penalties takers were all confident," he added.
"The four before had experience before in a penalty competition this season – and they were confident.
"We are disappointed for him because he had played really well in the game but someone has to miss, and unfortunately it was us."
Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic was in no doubt about the result. "We completely deserved to win," he said.
"We created good situations. Tonight in the second half it was all us – they were fading and we were dominating.
"I told my players we would have to be at our best to beat Liverpool on penalties – and we had seven players wanting to take them."
Watch the match highlights here:
<div class="ckeditor-em"><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http:\/\/vds.rightster.com/v/01yzk4sfx2qm00?target=iframe&amp;autoplay=1&amp;show_title=0" allowtransparency="true" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
Mobile app users, <a href="http:\/\/www.foxsports.com/soccer/video?vid=405073475528" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch the video highlights</a>.
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Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool match highlights (5-4 on penalties) - World Soccer Talk

Besiktas 1-0 Liverpool match highlights (5-4 on penalties)

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Substitute Mario Balotelli continued his penchant for late interventions with an 85th-minute penalty to give Liverpool a slender advantage to take to Istanbul in the last 32 of the Europa League.
Nine days ago he came off the bench at Anfield to score a crucial winner against Tottenham and did the same against Besiktas, this time at the Kop end after taking the ball away from team-mates Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge to take the spot-kick.
His goal makes the trip to Turkey next week less uncomfortable than it was looking, although the tie is far from over and they were defeated on their last visit there in the Champions League in 2007.
Progress, however small, in Europe is being made as Balotelli&apos;s goal avoided setting a new club record of six matches without victory.
That came about mainly because of Liverpool&apos;s failure to get through the group stages of the Champions League after a number of labored performances.
There was an assumption dropping down to the second tier competition, with form having improved and Sturridge now fit, would offer some respite.
But Turkish Super Lig leaders Besiktas never looked likely of succumbing to a repeat of their 8-0 battering on this ground in 2007 – still the worst defeat in Champions League history – with a compact and committed defensive performance.
They had already showed they were capable of good performances on their travels with a draw at Spurs earlier this season and they have lost only one of their last 11 away games in all competitions.
A return to the Ataturk Stadium, scene of their famous Champions League final victory in 2005, now awaits but Rodgers will be hoping his side do not need the sort of heroics shown against AC Milan to reach the last 16.
There were plenty of positives in the game with Jordon Ibe, on his European debut for the club just eight appearances into his Liverpool career, a major one.
The 19-year-old, who won the late penalty, was a bright spark on the right and his pace was a constant concern for Besiktas.
An early burst of speed easily took him past two markers to find Sturridge, also making his European bow two years after joining following ineligibility and injury, but his shot from a narrow angle was turned behind by goalkeeper Cenk Gonen.
Moving slightly less quickly was a pitch invader, who entered the fray from somewhere near the Anfield Road End carrying some sort of banner but he did not hang around long enough to convey the message he wanted and was apprehended in the front row of the Centenary Stand.
However, the short break in proceedings was enough to knock Liverpool out of their stride and with Besiktas getting nine outfield players behind the ball breaking down the Turkish side was difficult.
The middle period of the first half saw Besiktas enjoy their best spell with Vasil Kevlak heading narrowly over from Jose Sosa&apos;s corner before Simon Mignolet threw himself low to his left to deny Demba Ba after he out-paced Martin Skrtel on the counter-attack.
The incident had shades of last April when Ba, then playing for Chelsea, capitalised on Steven Gerrard&apos;s slip to spell the beginning of the end of Liverpool&apos;s title hopes.
On that occasion Mignolet could not stop the Senegal international but his save this time around prompted a response from former Reds defender Jamie Carragher.
"Why didn&apos;t Mignolet do that when Ba was playing for Chelsea! Staying in his goal rather than committing himself. I know SG slipped but….," he wrote on Twitter, which was a touch harsh considering Mignolet was totally exposed by his captain&apos;s unfortunate stumble last season.
In the last five minutes of the half Sturridge and Henderson were just off target with free-kicks either side of a thunderous 40-yard drive from Alberto Moreno which Gonen tipped over.
The Besiktas goalkeeper&apos;s fumble of Henderson&apos;s cross early in the second half saw Adam Lallana blaze over an open goal from close range, although Can&apos;s wayward backpass to Ba almost matched that in the error stakes and he was only saved by Skrtel&apos;s recovery.
A double change saw Balotelli and Dejan Lovren replace Philippe Coutinho and Joe Allen in the 63rd minute as Liverpool went to two up front and Balotelli&apos;s first act was to drill a free-kick straight at Gonen.
With time ticking down it was looking like another frustrating night until five minutes from time Ramon Motta tripped Ibe and Balotelli did the business again, despite Sturridge and Henderson wanting to take the ball off him.
Watch the match highlights of Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas:
<div class="ckeditor-em"><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://vds.rightster.com/v/01yzkoe1x2qm00?target=iframe&amp;autoplay=1&amp;show_title=0" allowtransparency="true" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
Mobile app users, <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/video?vid=401594435674" target="_blank">watch the game highlights</a> here.
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Watch Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas match highlights [VIDEO]

Watch Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas match highlights [VIDEO] - World Soccer Talk

<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-110515" title="Demba-Ba-besiktas" src="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Demba-Ba-besiktas.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="538" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/07/17052225/Demba-Ba-besiktas.jpg 600w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/07/17052225/Demba-Ba-besiktas-150x134.jpg 150w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/07/17052225/Demba-Ba-besiktas-300x269.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure>
Chelsea striker Demba Ba is on the verge of joining Besiktas after passing a medical earlier on Thursday.
After falling <a title="out of favor" href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/04/09/demba-ba-deserves-more-starts-as-chelsea-striker-instead-of-as-rarely-used-super-sub/">out of favor with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho</a>, Demba Ba had a less than spectacular season with the Blues. He earned only 19 appearances and scored five goals during the 2013-2014 season.
Even before the season ended, the 29 year-old striker made his intentions of leaving clear. In April, he said, “I’m looking to leave Chelsea. I want to play the full 90 minutes, get the maximum number of games and enjoy myself. I’ve not done that very much this season, and I doubt things will change for me here.”
Turkish club Besiktas had been in talks to loan Ba for the upcoming season from Chelsea but management at Stamford Bridge were looking for a transfer and not a loan. However Besiktas president Fikret Orman stated that a deal had been agreed. Ba was quoted as saying, “I want to showcase my talent to the fans as soon as possible, this is a huge club and I want to become a part of it. I want to thank the fans for their warm welcome and I am sure we are going to establish a great relationship.”
Ba is a powerful striker, as he proved in the past by his performances at Newcastle United and during his first season at Chelsea, so the move should prove beneficial for Ba who is likely to see an increase in playing time. The club finished third in the Turkish league last season, and could use a proven goalscorer up front to help push them forward and become contenders for the title this season.
At 29, the Senegalese striker has a few good years ahead of him but he’s not going to progress sitting on the bench behind <a title="Diego Costa" href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/07/01/chelsea-confirm-diego-costa-transfer-after-meeting-buyout-clause/">Diego Costa</a> and Fernando Torres.

Chelsea Striker Demba Ba On the Verge of Joining Besiktas In £8million Deal

Chelsea Striker Demba Ba On the Verge of Joining Besiktas In £8million Deal - World Soccer Talk

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