Author: Daily Sabah With Agencies

Two Turkish juggernauts – Fenerbahçe and ÇBK Mersin – are set to chase continental glory at the FIBA Women’s EuroLeague Six-Team Final, April 9-13 in Zaragoza. The high-stakes tournament pits Türkiye’s finest against elite clubs from Spain, Italy, France and the Czechia. While hosts Valencia and reigning champs Fenerbahçe have secured semifinal berths, Mersin must battle from the play-in stage. Here’s how the stage shapes up: Champions on mission Back-to-back titleholders, Fenerbahçe Opet, have a bullseye on their backs – but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Armed with a stacked roster and riding a dominant campaign, the Yellow…

With Turkish sensation Alperen Şengün leading the charge, the Houston Rockets muscled past the Golden State Warriors 106-96 on Sunday night, snapping an eight-year road drought at Chase Center and planting a bold flag in the Western Conference playoff race. Şengün put on a clinic in the paint, posting a thunderous 19-point, 14-rebound double-double, adding 4 assists and a steal in a game where finesse met fire. But it wasn’t just his numbers – it was the attitude. When Warriors veteran Draymond Green tried to bait him early, Şengün hit back harder: drawing contact, finishing strong, and letting Golden State…

A lifeless Manchester derby saw Manchester United and Manchester City battle to a goalless draw on Sunday, a result that dimmed City’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot next season. Pep Guardiola’s City remain in fifth place with 52 points, one behind Chelsea, while United are languishing in 13th on 38 points. Both teams, struggling through tough seasons, failed to create clear-cut chances, particularly in a forgettable first half at Old Trafford, bathed in sunlight. The match did come to life after the break. City’s Omar Marmoush fired a thunderous shot from 25 yards, forcing United keeper Andre Onana…

Israel’s expansionist policy in the Middle East since the beginning of the 2023 conflict with Palestinians is now targeting post-Assad Syria. Türkiye has warned that Israel may even target it in the future as tensions have escalated between the two countries. Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş told journalists on Saturday that Israel may not be “as irrational, as daring to clash with Türkiye regardless of conditions on the ground.” Speaking on his way to Uzbekistan for an inter-parliamentary meeting, Kurtulmuş said countries should not downplay Israel’s action plan based on “Promised Land” plans. Israel nowadays appears to adhere to this radical…

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said his team will head to Paris for their Champions League quarter-final first leg full of confidence after securing a seventh consecutive victory. Villa beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 to boost their chances of returning to Europe’s biggest stage next season, thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen in the opening 15 minutes. They have real momentum as they set sights on a second successive year of Champions League qualification. They could still do that by winning this year’s competition and now head to face Paris Saint-Germain for the club’s biggest game since their…

The Turkish Football Federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) handed down significant penalties to Fenerbahçe following their Turkish Cup quarterfinal derby loss to Galatasaray. The sanctions include three-match bans for coach Jose Mourinho, and players Fred and Mert Hakan Yandaş, as well as hefty fines. In its ruling, the PFDK cited Mourinho’s “unsporting conduct” following a post-match altercation with a Galatasaray team member. As a result, Mourinho faces a three-match ban from the dressing room and the bench, along with a TL 292,500 ($7,700) fine. The committee’s decision came after reviewing similar cases, with three members voting for a five-match…

Fenerbahçe Medicana secured their fifth 2025 AXA Sigorta Women’s Cup title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Eczacıbaşı Dynavit in a final at Izmir’s Halkapınar Sports Hall. The set scores were 26-24, 25-22, and 28-26, showcasing Fenerbahçe’s strength and composure throughout the match. Melissa Vargas, the star of the final, recorded an impressive 26 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Overcoming the emotion after the win, Vargas shed tears of joy as the crowd, which included Cuban and Turkish supporters, applauded her outstanding performance. This victory marked Fenerbahçe’s fifth Women’s Cup triumph. Fenerbahçe players celebrate after beating…

A Tufts University student from Türkiye, who was arrested last week in Massachusetts by U.S. immigration officials after advocating for Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza, challenged her arrest and the rapid transfer out of Massachusetts as being unlawful, according to a report Thursday. Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Fulbright scholar and third-year doctoral student at Tufts University, was arrested by masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 25 as she left her home in Somerville to attend an iftar, or fast-breaking dinner, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Within hours, she was flown to a detention…

When the U.S., Canada and Mexico secured the 2026 World Cup bid seven years ago, diplomatic tensions, including trade tariffs and talks of a border wall, were largely overlooked. The unifying theme back then, championed by Carlos Cordeiro, then-president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, was the “unity of the three nations.” “A powerful message,” Cordeiro called it, an aspiration overshadowing political frictions. Fast forward to 2025, with the World Cup approaching in just over a year, and President Donald Trump is back in office. The return of tariffs and the threat of “reciprocal tariffs” add fuel to the fire, making…

In a fiery Istanbul derby that saw the Turkish Cup quarterfinals descend into chaos, Fenerbahçe gaffer Jose Mourinho’s confrontation with Galatasaray’s Okan Buruk stole the spotlight. After the Yellow Canaries’ 2-1 defeat to their bitter rivals, a bizarre incident unfolded as Mourinho appeared to grab Buruk’s nose, sending the Galatasaray manager tumbling to the ground. Fenerbahçe coach Jose Mourinho (L) grabs Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk’s nose during the Turkish Cup quarterfinal match against Galatasaray at the Ülker Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 2, 2025. (Reuters Photo) The confrontation, caught on camera, immediately went viral, igniting a storm both on and off…