Turkish clubs could face European ban if found guilty of match fixing

By David Gold

December 29 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) has refused to rule out the possibility that Turkish clubs could be banned from European competition if found guilty of involvement in the match fixing scandal that has rocked the country.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) launched an investigation after evidence of match fixing by some of the country’s leading clubs emerged earlier this year.

A total of 19 top flight games are under investigation and last year’s champions, Fenerbahçe, have already been thrown out of this season’s Champions League – to be replaced by Trabzonspor – who have also been implicated in the scandal.

A total of 93 individuals, ranging from club officials such as the Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yildirim to players including Bursaspor’s Gökçek Vederson and Sivasspor’s Mehmet Yildiz, are currently being prosecuted for their alleged role in the scandal.

“It seems to be only domestic matches, where it’s under the jurisdiction of the national association to take the necessary measures,” Infantino said.

“We are discussing with the Turkish Football Association and, if necessary, we will certainly not hesitate to take necessary measures.”

The affair has drawn in politicians with the Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdoğan – a Fenerbahçe fan – and his ruling AK Party set to reduce the maximum prison term for individuals found guilty of involvement in the affair from 12 years to three.

As the 12 year punishment was only introduced earlier this year, the President, Abdullah Gül, blocked the move initially, returning it to Parliamentarians to review after he said it gave the impression of there being a special arrangement to protect guilty parties.

The bill has now been returned to Gül unaltered and with the support of the opposition as well as the government, and the President has indicated that he will not block the legislation for a second time, meaning those found guilty are likely to face significantly reduced sentences.

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