Fener heating up for derby

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Emre Belözoğlu (L), rejected racism claims in a conference with teammate Joseph Yobo (R) but he is still facing a suspension that will keep him out of weekend’s derby. AA photo

Fenerbahçe will pay bonuses worth 2 million Turkish Liras to its players for a win against arch rivals Galatasaray, but midfielder Emre Belözoğlu is likely to miss the derby due to a ban for his alleged racist slur.

Fenerbahçe trails leader Galatasaray by five points in the Spor Toto Super League championship playoffs, and will need a win when the two teams meet on April 22. With that in mind, the Fenerbahçe board has promised a record bonus of 2 million Turkish liras if the players beat their local rivals, daily Milliyet has reported. However, Fenerbahçe is likely to be without Emre Belözoğlu, as the Professional Football Disciplinary Commitee (PFDK) has opened a probe into the Turkish international midfielder, who allegedly racially insulted Trabzonspor’s Ivory Coast player Didier Zokora in last weekend’s match.