Galatasaray part ways with coach Tudor

ANKARA, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Galatasaray announced they had parted ways with Croatian coach Igor Tudor on Monday after the club were usurped as Turkish league leaders following their fourth defeat of the season.

Tudor, who moved to Galatasaray from Karabukspor halfway through last season, has been widely criticised after the team allowed an eight-point lead in the standings to slip away before they dropped to second place on Sunday.

Galatasaray called an extraordinary congress on Jan. 13 to elect a new board and club chairman.

On Sunday Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-1 defeat by promoted Yeni Malatyaspor.

Tudor abruptly walked out of Sunday's post match press conference after criticising the media.

"You like to say when we win it's because we have good players, and when we lose it's because of the coach. What I understand here in Turkey is very unusual for me, especially in Galatasaray," he said angrily.

Tudor said he was under pressure to quit.

"Only two popular things here: Tudor istifa (resign), and to blame the losses on the system. A very simple explanation of Turkish football."

Galatasaray enjoyed a nine-match undefeated run at the start of the season before a 2-1 defeat by Trabzonspor in October halted them in their tracks. Since then, they have lost three of their next six matches, including a 5-1 thrashing by Istanbul Basaksehir and a 3-0 humbling by Besiktas.

Basaksehir climbed to the top of the league on Sunday after amassing 33 points from 16 games, one more than Galatasaray.

Galatasaray are Turkey's most decorated club, with 20 league titles. They became the first Turkish club to win a major European trophy when they lifted the 2000 UEFA Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu,; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)