ANKARA (AA) -Turkish soccer club Galatasaray became champions in Spor Toto Super league after winning against Turkey's Sivasspor, 4-2, in a home game on Sunday.
Galatasaray declared their championship two weeks before the 2012-2013 season has ended. Selcuk Inan's early goal in the first half extended Galatasaray's aggregate lead to 1-0, and led the team to play a stirring football in the second half. Burak Yilmaz and Selcuk Inan found the net in the second half, moving Galatasaray to the championship. Two of the goals, Sivasspor shot, were scored within the last ten minutes of the game.
Following the game from the tribune and entering the field 15 minutes after the game ended because of a ban given to him, Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim, said that "it's another feeling to become champion."
"Thanks God we have seen these days. We thank our audience. I would like to greet all the Galatasaray fans all around the world with leading my hand to my heart. Our fans may have fun properly. Everybody here is part of my big family. I greeted everyone."
Umit Davala, one of the trainers, said that the secret of becoming champions was the soul of Galatasaray and friendship. He added that they trained hard throughout the season and said, "when I say Galatasaray, championship comes directly to my mind."
Fans of Galatasaray, gathered in different regions of Turkey, celebrated the championship joyfully, however, incidents took place in some parts of Istanbul between the fans of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, another Turkish team.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul congratulated Terim, the players, directors and the Galatasaray community by sending a telegram to the head of the club, Unal Aysal, according to the Turkish Presidency's statement released.
Terim, broke the record of being the football coach, has encountered the most championships in the club's history. He reached a further step in this season with winning the championship one more time. Terim won 4 championships in 1996-1997, 1997-1998, 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, right after he started to coach in Galatasaray. Now, after eleven years, he reached another two championships one after the other.
Terim was punished by Professional Football Discipline Council (PFDK) to be excluded from nine matches for insulting and violating the competition judge and the representative with an unsportsmanlike conduct.
