Galatasaray wins Ziraat Turkish Cup after beating Fenerbahçe 1-0

Galatasaray beat its Istanbul rival Fenerbahçe 1-0 on its way to Turkish Ziraat Cup final victory on Thursday, finding relief after having one of the worst seasons in the club's history.

The German footballer Lucas Podolski's solitary goal in the first half enabled Galatasaray to enjoy their first victory of the season.

Galatasaray, who finished sixth in the Super League, will serve one-year ban from European football – imposed by UEFA for not complying with Financial Fair Play rules – making the club eligible in the 2017-18 campaign.

UEFA said Galatasaray will be excluded from the Champions League and Europa League if they qualify either this season or next. Galatasaray are sitting outside the qualifying places for next season's Champions League and Europa League. So the Ziraat Cup will ensure Galatasaray serves the ban during the next Europa League.