By Andrew Warshaw
March 18 – UEFA President Michel Platini is set to meet Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (pictured)tomorrow for an update on the match fixing scandal that has rocked Turkish football.
The summit takes place 24 hours before UEFA convenes in Istanbul for an Executive Committee meeting followed by the full Congress when Platini will brief representatives of UEFA’s 53-strong membership about the crisis that has snared 93 officials, players and coaches who are currently on trial.
Member European nations will also be updated on preparations for this year’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, as well as the relationship with Europe’s leading clubs.
Two separate news conferences are being planned, one Wednesday (March 21) after the two-day Executive Committee meeting, the other straight after the Congress on Thursday (March 22).
The fact that this year’s Congress is in Istanbul – the first time Turkey has staged it for 34 years – gives Platini the perfect opportunity to glean more information about the dire state of Turkish football.
The Frenchman has been widely reported to favour Turkey hosting the European Championships in 2020 but the ongoing trial has generated constant adverse publicity, as has persistent fan violence.
The major focus of the trial is on Aziz Yıldırım (pictured), chairman of Fenerbahçe who were kicked out of this season’s Champions League.
He is charged with attempting to manipulate the outcome of 13 games and arranging for “favourable” referees.
In May, he allegedly ordered his aides to pay one player €100,000 (£83,000/$131,000) before a match, a charge he vehemently denies – as he does all the others.
Match fixing has taken root throughout the world over the past 12 months including in Italy, South Korea, Israel, Finland and Greece.
But the numbers involved in Turkey sets the country apart in terms of seriousness.
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