Eagles start cup title defense

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Beşiktaş beat Istanbul BB after a penalty shootout on May 11 last year, but the team’s Turkish Cup victory eventually became a subject of controversy with allegations as part of a match-fixing investigation. Beşiktaş plays against Gaziantep BB tonight. Hürriyet photo

Beşiktaş starts its title defense in the Ziraat Turkish Cup with a game against Gaziantep BB tonight.
The Black Eagles, which won their ninth domestic cup with a penalty shootout victory over Istanbul BB, will meet the second-tier side in the third round of the competition.

Beşiktaş is expected to field a team mostly comprised of reserve players as it hosts the southern side in the first-leg game in Istanbul.

The Black Eagles’ cup victory has been the subject of controversy as then-coach Tayfur Havutçu, board member Serdal Adalı and club official Ahmet Ateş were jailed pending trial as part of the match-fixing case. Havutçu and Adalı has allegedly tried to influence Istanbul BB player İbrahim Akın, a former Beşiktaş man, before the final. The trio were jailed but released in December after five months in Istanbul’s Metris Prison.

After the allegations were made public, Beşiktaş board announced it returned the cup to the Turkish Football Federation as a gesture, but it later emerged that the trophy stayed at the club’s premises. Beşiktaş also did not give up on its right to play in the European competition.

Last year’s runner-up, Istanbul BB, will play at Adanaspor also today.

Trabzonspor will host Güngörenspor, while on-form Super League clubs Eskişehirspor and Gençlerbirliği will play at Eyüpspor and Boluspor respectively.