BeIN Media Group is set to take legal action against Fenerbahçe over the Süper Lig club’s campaign against the Qatar-based broadcaster.

According to reports, beIN will file an injunction later this week to prevent the club from using the broadcaster’s branding after the ‘beFAIR’ slogan appeared on pitchside LED advertising boards and apparel worn by players during post-match interviews.

Fenerbahçe has accused beIN of manipulating video assistant referee (VAR) replays, along with other claims suggesting that the broadcaster has affected the team’s performance. However, beIN has denied all allegations brought against it, insisting it cannot control replays.

It has now announced its intention to sue the club for breach of intellectual property which has seen Fenerbahçe distort beIN’s logo.

The broadcaster said in a statement: “We have seen the remarkable images and campaign breaching our intellectual property – which only harms the whole of Turkish football. 

“We will take whatever legal action necessary to protect our rights. As we have shown before, we take an uncompromising approach to the protection of IP, not least because it is the economic foundation of football.”

In addition, The Athletic reported that beIN was also banned from attending January signing Mesut Özil’s unveiling at the club.

BeIN currently holds the domestic and international rights to the Turkish top flight after penning a deal with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) in 2016. The global network’s contract was said to be worth around $500 million per season for the 2017/18 to 2021/22 cycle.

TFF President, Nihat Özdemir, has confirmed that the tender process will be launched by the end of 2021, but although the organisation would be in favour of extending its agreement with beIN, the deal will have to ‘please the clubs at the maximum level’.

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