Riot police stand in the field Galatasaray lifted the Turkish title for the 18th time on Saturday after a goalless draw saw them deny rivals Fenerbahce, but crowd trouble marred the occasion as tensions escalated amid an enquiry into alleged match-fixing.
Flag-waving Galatasaray fans greeted their success with a noisy concert of klaxons as thousands descended on Istanbul\'s Taksim thoroughfare.
But riot police had to deploy water cannon and tear gas to separate rival groups of fans as they exited Fenerbache\'s Sukru Saracoglu as emotions threatened to get out of hand, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Fenerbahce fans broke plastic chairs, throwing them and flares at police. Police used their shields to protect the players at Fenerbahce\'s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. Police used pepper spray to disperse the fans and evacuated the stadium as players fled to locker rooms.
During the afternoon, three Fenerbache supporters were hurt in clashes and another person in an incident between Galatasaray fans and Greek supporters in town to follow Euroleage basketball action, Anatolia reported.
Fans also turned over two police vehicles and set them on fire in Istanbul\'s Kadikoy district, the news agency added. Police and citizens quickly put out the fire, it said. Rioters also turned over garbage bins and shattered shop windows, leaving streets littered with fist-sized stones, state television showed.
Sports channel Lig TV said some Fenerbahce fans also fought with police outside the stadium, throwing stones at a police vehicle with a water cannon.
The violence followed a tense game during which one player from each team drew a red card.
Istanbul was hosting that encounter Sunday between Greek side Olympiakos and Russia\'s CSKA Moscow.
The traditional rivalry between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce has been underscored this season by the investigation into match-fixing.
Fenerbache won the title but the ongoing investigation, which saw the club\'s chairman remanded in custody, saw Turkey\'s Football Federation withdraw them from the Champions League.
The federation punished some players and club officials but spared the clubs, including Fenerbahce, allegedly at the centre of the scandal.
Turkey is bidding to host football\'s 2020 European Championship and the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul. It\'s unlikely Turkey would be granted both. The IOC would award the Olympics to Istanbul only on condition Turkey would not also stage the football championship in the same year. The government so far is supporting both bids.
Also bidding for the 2020 Olympics are Madrid; Tokyo; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan. The IOC will announce the list of finalists May 23 and the host in September 2013. The deadline for Euro 2020 bids is May 15, and Turkey is the only candidate so far.