Turkish Super Lig

ANKARA — A Turkish court on Friday sentenced a media executive and a former police chief to more than 1,000 years each in prison for conspiring to bring match-fixing charges against top soccer club Fenerbahçe.

Fenerbahçe's president was jailed for match-fixing a decade ago and the club was barred from playing in European competitions for two seasons, but the case was reopened after prosecutors said it was founded on a conspiracy.

ISTANBUL - Beşiktaş seized the Turkish Süper Lig title for the 16th time on Saturday with a 2-1 win away to Göztepe, clinching the title on goal difference ahead of their Istanbul rivals Galatasaray in a tense end to the season.

The win lifted Beşiktaş to 84 points, level with Galatasaray who beat Yeni Malatyaspor 3-1. Beşiktaş's goal difference of 45 was one better than their rivals. Third-placed Fenerbahçe ended on 82 points.

With just four games left to play in the Turkish Süper Lig, front-runner Beşiktaş holds a six-point lead over city rival Galatasaray in second placed and Fenerbahçe in third. Beşiktaş must still take on Fatih Terim and Galatasaray once more before the season concludes, a pivotal clash set for May 9.

DeAndre Yedlin might be second-guessing his decision to play in Turkey right about now. The American fullback has had a rollercoaster start to time at Galatasaray and it took a dip with a gruesome-looking Yedlin injury against Fatih Karagümrük on Saturday.

Two Tyler Boyd goals vs. Antalyaspor on Wednesday helped his new club secure three points and put some more pressure on USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter.

In the dark days of U.S. men’s soccer, a player who had five goals in five games for a quality European club would be a shoo-in for a spot on the national team’s roster. Today there’s such an overflow of talent that a guy like Boyd flies inconspicuously under the radar.

With playing time drying up at Newcastle, American fullback DeAndre Yedlin was allowed to leave on a free transfer to Galatasaray at the end of January. At one time one of the most promising Americans in Europe, the former Sounders speedster had seemingly run out of options in England after stints at Tottenham, Sunderland and Newcastle. 

ANKARA - Broadcaster beIN SPORTS has taken legal action to stop Fenerbahçe players wearing doctored versions of the company logo as part of the Turkish soccer club's protests against what it says is beIN's biased coverage of its matches.

Two beIN sources said the company launched the legal action on Wednesday at a Turkish intellectual property court to stop the club using the protest logo "beFAIR”. One of the sources said further legal action was being prepared.