Sports
FIFA docks Adana Demirspor 12 fresh points as collapse deepens
Adana Demirspor’s fall has taken another brutal turn, with FIFA imposing a further 12-point deduction that effectively seals the club’s second straight relegation and leaves one of Türkiye’s proud provincial sides staring into an uncertain future.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the TFF 1. Lig club over two separate cases involving overdue payables, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) confirmed on Monday, 2026.
The rulings were processed under FIFA Clearing House procedures, which monitor solidarity payments, training compensation and outstanding transfer-related debts.
Under FIFA regulations, each unresolved file typically carries a six-point deduction once clubs fail to settle notified amounts after repeated warnings. If debts remain unpaid, sanctions escalate to transfer bans.
In Adana Demirspor’s case, both penalties were applied, adding 12 more points to a season already defined by sanctions.
Story-telling table
The latest punishment drops the club to minus 45 points. After 27 matches in the 2025-26 TFF 1. Lig season, Adana Demirspor sit 20th and last in the 20-team table with no wins, three draws and 24 defeats.
They have scored 16 goals and conceded 120, a staggering goal difference of minus 104.
Even a flawless finish to the campaign would not be enough to survive. Relegation to the TFF 2. Lig is now a mathematical certainty.
Financial freefall
The scale of the collapse is striking.
Adana Demirspor ended a 26-year absence from the top flight when they won promotion in 2020-21.
Two seasons later, under Vincenzo Montella, they finished fourth in the Süper Lig and qualified for Europe for the first time in club history.
The Mediterranean side, founded in 1940 and backed by one of Türkiye’s most passionate fan bases, appeared to have built a sustainable platform.
Instead, mounting debts reversed the trajectory.
In January 2024, FIFA imposed a transfer ban covering three consecutive windows over unpaid obligations.
Key players departed, reinforcements were blocked and the squad weakened. The club survived the 2023-24 campaign, finishing 12th, but the reprieve was brief.
The 2024-25 season unraveled quickly. Still under transfer restrictions, the team relied heavily on youth players and loans. Relegation was confirmed on March 16, 2025, with 10 matchdays remaining, an early and sobering verdict on the widening crisis.
Domestic turmoil
Financial sanctions were compounded by disciplinary trouble at home.
In February 2025, during a heated Süper Lig clash against Galatasaray, Adana Demirspor players walked off the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded following an incident involving Alvaro Morata.
The federation ruled the match a 3-0 forfeit defeat and handed the club an additional three-point deduction.
Chairman Murat Sancak received a 30-day ban and a TL 500,000 fine, adding administrative strain to sporting collapse.
Sanctions stack up
Relegation did not halt the slide.
Throughout the 2025-26 season in the second division, FIFA continued to issue six-point deductions tied to unresolved Clearing House cases.
Multiple files related to unpaid salaries, agent commissions and inter-club transfer obligations pushed the club into negative territory long before this latest ruling.
The transfer ban remains in place until all outstanding amounts are cleared, leaving the squad unable to strengthen and increasingly uncompetitive.
Heavy defeats, including multiple five-goal losses, have become routine. Attendances and morale have dipped accordingly.
As of Tuesday, no appeal or confirmed settlement has been announced.
The focus now shifts to limiting further damage and preparing for life in the third tier, where financial scrutiny and licensing requirements could present new hurdles.
Sancak has repeatedly cited debts inherited from previous administrations, yet FIFA’s enforcement framework leaves little flexibility once deadlines are missed.
The Orlando Magic upset the Detroit Pistons 112-101 Sunday, while defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics opened the NBA playoffs with emphatic victories.
The Thunder, trying to become the first team since Golden State in 2017 and 2018 to repeat as champions, came out firing in a 119-84 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The Celtics, seeded second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, dominated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91.
San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, made a triumphant playoff debut, scoring 35 points as the Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98.
Oklahoma City looked rested and recharged after a week off since they locked up the Western Conference top seed and best record in the league.
But Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit looked rusty and the Magic, who battled through the play-in to bag their playoff berth, took advantage.
Paolo Banchero scored 23 points and Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter as the Magic withstood a 39-point performance from Pistons star Cade Cunningham.
Detroit trailed by as many as 13 in the first quarter and by 11 early in the third. A Cunningham 3-pointer tied it midway through the third, but the Magic pulled away again.
“I liked our composure the whole game, our energy,” Wagner said after the Magic handed the Pistons an 11th straight home playoff defeat, a skid dating back to 2008.
“(We) just didn’t come out with the right energy, gave them life early on,” Cunningham said. “Then we had to deal with that for the rest of the game.”
But Cunningham remained confident that the Pistons can turn things around in the best-of-seven first-round series.
“There’s no confidence drop from us,” he said. “It’ll be a long, fun series.”
Fans were revved in Oklahoma City, where reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points.
He connected on just five of 18 from the field but made 15 of his 17 free throw attempts and added seven assists and two blocked shots before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
Jalen Williams added 22 points and Chet Holmgren scored 16 for the Thunder.
Devin Booker scored 23 points for Phoenix, but the Suns were otherwise stifled by the Thunder.
“It was a great defensive performance,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We forced them to earn everything.”
In Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as the Celtics led wire-to-wire against the Sixers.
‘Incredible feeling’
Tatum led the charge, racking up 21 of his 25 points in the first half. Brown poured in 16 of his 26 in the third quarter alone.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” said Tatum, whose unexpected late-season return from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year’s playoffs has plenty of pundits picking Boston, not Detroit, to emerge from the East.
“Not too long ago, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to play this season, let alone get an opportunity to play in the playoffs.”
In San Antonio, the second-seeded Spurs led by as many as 16 points on the way to a 59-49 halftime lead.
Portland, led by 30 points and 10 rebounds from Deni Avdija, cut the deficit to two early in the third quarter.
But the Spurs pulled away again, thrilling the San Antonio fans who have waited since 2019 to see the five-time champion franchise return to the playoffs.
“We were solid, but job’s not done,” said Wembanyama, who earlier in the day joined Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic as a finalist for regular-season MVP honors.
Fenerbahçe reclaimed the EuroLeague Women title Sunday with a commanding 68-55 victory over archrival Galatasaray in an all-Turkish final in Zaragoza, Spain.
The win helped the Istanbul giants secure their third crown and reassert dominance in Europe’s premier women’s basketball competition.
Playing at Pabellon Principe Felipe, both teams struggled to find rhythm early, with Fenerbahçe edging a tight first quarter 17-16 despite Galatasaray’s strong defensive presence in the paint.
Galatasaray briefly took control in the second period with an 8-0 run to lead 27-25, but Fenerbahçe responded through efficient inside play, led by Iliana Rupert, to carry a 37-32 advantage into halftime.
Fenerbahçe tightened their grip in the third quarter, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers from floor general Julie Allemand.
While Galatasaray stayed within reach behind efforts from Elizabeth Williams and Smalls, Fenerbahçe maintained a 51-45 lead heading into the final period.
The defending champions then pulled away in the fourth quarter, stretching the margin into double digits and closing out a comfortable 68-55 win.
Allemand was named Final Six MVP after delivering a near triple-double in the final with 13 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Across the tournament, she averaged 12.5 points, 7.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, underlining her pivotal role in Fenerbahçe’s title run.
Teammate Emma Meesseman further cemented her legacy as one of the competition’s all-time greats by claiming her seventh EuroLeague Women title, the most by any player in the modern era.
The Final Six All-Star Five featured Allemand and Meesseman alongside Galatasaray’s Williams, Merritt Hempe of host club Casademont Zaragoza and Klara Holm of Spar Girona.
Earlier Sunday, Zaragoza secured their first-ever podium finish by defeating Spar Girona 66-63 in the third-place game, marking a historic achievement for the hosts.
The triumph capped a dominant campaign for Fenerbahçe, who had previously lifted the EuroLeague Women trophy in 2023 and 2024, and now return to the top of European basketball once again.
LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday, while the Denver Nuggets held off the Minnesota Timberwolves in a physical opener to the NBA playoffs.
The Nuggets, fueled by Nikola Jokic’s 25-point triple-double and 30 points from Jamal Murray, beat the Timberwolves 116-105.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers also powered to wins in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks beating the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 and the Cavaliers thumping the Toronto Raptors 126-113.
In Los Angeles, 41-year-old superstar James launched his record-equaling 19th playoff campaign with a double-double of 19 points and 13 assists.
He added eight rebounds as the Lakers shook off the injury absences of league-leading scorer Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with a convincing victory in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference series.
“We understand the circumstances that we’re in,” James said of a Lakers team that will be without Doncic and Reaves indefinitely after both suffered late-season injuries.
“We don’t have time to wait around, especially versus a hard-playing, well-coached team like Houston. So it was a good first test for us.”
Grimy game
All five Lakers starters scored in double figures, with Luke Kennard leading the way with 27 points on nine-of-13 shooting, including five-of-five from 3-point range.
“He stepped up big-time,” James said.
Turkish center Alperen Şengün scored 19 points to lead the Rockets, who felt the absence of Kevin Durant after the 37-year-old star was ruled out shortly before the game with a bruised knee.
“Hopefully it’s a one-game thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said.
In Denver, three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic added 13 rebounds and 11 assists, shaking off a slow start that saw him score just six points in the first half.
Murray scored 17 of his 30 in the first half to keep the Nuggets close and finished a perfect 16 of 16 from the free-throw line.
The third playoff series in four seasons between the teams got off to a physical start, with more than 40 fouls called, a flagrant foul called on Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and a technical on Denver coach David Adelman.
The Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 in the first quarter before bearing down in the second period and pulling away after the break.
Adelman was pleased with the way his team responded after the early punch from the visitors.
“Winning a grimy game, it’s good,” Adelman said. “Both teams are experienced and used to winning these games. They know what it means to play in a physical match-up. There’s respect … there’s also a want to win.”
Anthony Edwards, battling back from a knee injury, led the Timberwolves with 22 points, and Rudy Gobert added a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
‘Always interesting’
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called the number of free throws awarded to Murray “a head scratcher”.
“Sixteen free throws is a lot,” Finch said. “It’s almost as many as we shot all game.”
Countered Murray: “They were real fouls.”
“It was physical,” Jokic said. “Whenever we play them, it’s always interesting.”
In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 for the Knicks against the Hawks.
Brunson scored 19 in the first quarter alone, and when he cooled off, Towns scored 19 in the second half to keep things rolling for a Knicks team aiming to improve on their trip to last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points to fuel the Cavaliers in a 126-113 win over the Toronto Raptors.
James Harden added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds and Max Strus scored 24 points off the bench for the Cavs.
RJ Barrett scored 24 points for the Raptors, who never led after the opening minutes and trailed by as many as 24.
Mitchell has now scored at least 30 points in an NBA record nine straight playoff series openers.
Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win the Copa del Rey final Saturday in Seville, securing the club’s fourth title.
After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.
Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman leveling for Atletico.
Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break, but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.
La Real’s season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December and he resuscitated their campaign.
“It’s a moment to enjoy, to dream and to believe … the kid who dreamed of this … has done it,” said Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero, who saved two penalties.
Champions League semifinalists Atletico, 10-time winners of the cup, were left to lick their wounds and rue mistakes.
“We did everything we could, we had to row against the current from the start,” said Atletico captain Koke.
“We had some chances before the end of the 90 minutes that, if we had scored, would have changed the story.
“We have to congratulate La Real, that’s life. It hurts, but we have to continue.”
At La Cartuja stadium, it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.
Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.
Simeone’s side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.
Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.
Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann, but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.
Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian’s recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.
Musso clumsily clattered Guedes’ fist first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.
Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.
After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.
Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.
Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.
Eventually, the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.
The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.
Blown chances
With La Real caving, Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.
Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.
At the other end, Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.
Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico’s first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.
However, Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad’s fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.
Atletico’s last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in Europe, where they face Arsenal.
“We have a beautiful challenge – we want the Champions League, we will do everything we can to win it, but this is a sad night,” added Koke.
Turkish chess prodigy Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has become the youngest player in history to surpass the 2700 ELO rating threshold, a milestone that places him among the elite of world chess.
According to a statement from the Turkish Chess Federation on Friday, the 14-year-old grandmaster achieved the feat during the “Clash of Generations III” tournament organized by the Monaco Chess Federation.
Competing in Monaco, Erdoğmuş delivered a dominant performance against former world champion Veselin Topalov, defeating him with a 4-1 score. The result earned him enough rating points to cross the 2700 ELO barrier, widely regarded as the benchmark of chess’s top tier.
With the achievement, Erdoğmuş set a new record as the youngest player ever to reach a 2700 rating at age 14. The previous record was held by Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi, who reached the mark at 15.
Some of the world’s leading players, including world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja and Dommaraju Gukesh, crossed the same threshold at age 16.
Erdoğmuş also set a new national record, achieving the highest ELO rating in Turkish chess history.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak congratulated the young grandmaster, praising his “historic achievement” and expressing hope for his continued success.
“National grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has made us proud with his historic accomplishment,” Bak said in a statement. “By surpassing the 2700 ELO threshold in Monaco and becoming the youngest player to enter the elite ranks of world chess, he has set a world record. I congratulate him and thank everyone who contributed to this success.”
Top seed Elena Rybakina defeated Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-1 to win the Stuttgart Open Sunday, claiming the title and a Porsche prize for the second time in her career.
While the Kazakh claimed her second title of the season, it was the tournament’s traditional Porsche award that truly captured Rybakina’s attention more than the silverware itself.
The first Porsche she won in 2024 had given her a push to get a driver’s license last year and she was all smiles when she drove her newly won second sports car down the ramp before parking it on the red clay of the arena.
Victory elevated Rybakina into exclusive company, making her just the fourth active player to win at least five WTA-level titles on multiple surfaces, joining an elite group that includes Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek.
“It’s an amazing tournament, we love coming back here … It really feels like home and you just want to come back every year,” Rybakina said.
“Super happy for the second win here in Stuttgart and this beautiful car.”
Comes out swinging
Rybakina surged to a swift 3-0 lead in the opening set with a flurry of aggressive shot-making against a largely defensive Muchova.
She was nearly untouchable behind her first serve, consistently pushing Muchova onto the back foot, while the Australian Open champion also mixed in confident net play, forcing her Czech opponent to cover every inch of the court.
However, Muchova showed resilience, clawing her way back from 5-2 down to level at 5-5. But as she served to force a tiebreak, untimely errors crept in and Rybakina pounced to clinch the opening set when Muchova’s return sailed long.
That proved to be the spark Rybakina needed as she shifted gears decisively in the second set, reeling off five consecutive games – echoing her dominant win over Mirra Andreeva in the semifinal – before Muchova got on the board.
Serving for the title, Rybakina closed it out in style, serving to love and wrapping up a Tour-leading 25th victory of the season in 78 minutes.
“Elena, honestly, too good. You played really well,” Muchova said.
“I tried to stop you, but you clearly wanted a Porsche for the second time really bad. So, (you) made it very tough for me. Congrats!”
-
Politics3 days agoTürkiye hosts Antalya Diplomacy Forum in push for Middle East peace
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMinister of Family and Social Services Göktaş announced: Regulation is coming to digital games!
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoÖzal played a leading role in development
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoDiplomatic traffic from President Erdoğan at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum! Met with world leaders
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoThe first confession came, the governor is in custody
-
Politics3 days agoSyria’s al-Sharaa calls Türkiye ties cornerstone for global stability
-
Refugees2 days agoIranian official says US ‘maximalist’ demands stall face-to-face talks
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMİT’s blow to cyber fraudsters – Last Minute News