Clubs cleared in match-fixing scandal, several officials, players penalized

Disciplinary board members gathered at a meeting on Sunday night and announced their final decision on the match-fixing allegations. No club has been given a collective punishment and Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım, who is still behind bars as primary suspect in match-fixing case, was also not penalized. However, several Fenerbahçe administrators have been prohibited from participating in football matches.

The PFDK has banned the following individuals from participating in future games for a set period of time: former İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor player İbrahim Akın (three years); former Eskişehirspor player Ümit Karan (two years); Fenerbahçe Deputy Chairman Şekip Mosturoğlu (one years); Fenerbahçe Manager İlhan Ekşioğlu (three years); Fenerbahçe club Infrastructure Coordinator Cemil Turan (one year); Sivasspor Manager Ahmet Çelebi (two years); former Ankaragücü player Serdar Kulbilge (two years); Gençlerbirliği administrator Cengiz Demirel (one year); football agent Yavuz Ağırgöl (one year) and Gençlerbirliği administrator Mehmet Şen (one year).

The match-fixing investigation concerns claims that club officials and football players rigged games in the Bank Asya League 1 and Spor Toto Super League, which ended in May of last year with Fenerbahçe winning the trophy. In July 2011, police raided homes and football club premises, detaining 60 people suspected of fixing matches in those two Turkish leagues last season.

Many high-ranking football officials from various Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, have been arrested on charges of fraud and match fixing. A total of 31 individuals, including agents, former football players and club managers, were arrested in two waves of the probe, with Fenerbahçe Chairman Yıldırım being the highest-profile figure taken into custody. Most of these suspects have been released, including Beşiktaş coach Tayfur Havutçu.