ISTANBUL:
Former France international Wissam Ben Yedder signed for a Turkish second division club on Monday, just days after he was convicted of psychological violence against his estranged wife.
Last Wednesday, the 35-year-old was fined 90,000 euros ($105,000) for the abuse and ordered to pay 60,000 euros, half in legal fees and half in damages to his wife, whom he is in the process of divorcing.
“Our club has reached an agreement with Wissam Ben Yedder. We wish him lots of success in our green and black shirt,” said Sakaryaspor, based in the northwestern town of Adapazari, without sharing any details on the length of the striker’s contract.
Barring a brief spell earlier this year at Sepahan in Iran, Ben Yedder has not played since leaving Monaco in May 2024.
Last week’s conviction was the former Monaco and Sevilla forward’s second conviction in less than a year.
In November, he received a suspended two-year jail sentence for sexually assaulting a woman two months previously.
He was also given a six-month suspended sentence by a Spanish court in 2023 for tax fraud during his 2016-19 spell at Sevilla.
And he is under investigation, alongside his brother Sabri, for the alleged rape of two women in 2023, which the two men deny.
