Emenike may return to Turkey to face Fener

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Emmanuel Emenike was detained as part of the match-fixing investigation. AA photo

Fenerbahçe will meet with its former player Emmanuel Emenike again, as the Istanbul team has been pitted against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League playoff round.

The most intriguing question about the tie is whether Emenike, who spent an ill-advised six-week period at Fener, will come to Istanbul or not.

An Istanbul prosecutor alleged as part of the match-fixing case that Fenerbahçe officials fixed their 2010-2011 Super League game against Karabükspor in return for the transfer of Emenike. The Nigerian was among the dozens of players and officials that were detained as part of the case. After he was released, the Nigerian requested a transfer and left Turkey for Russia.

“Emenike was disturbed about the four days he spent as a detainee, and wanted to leave,” his lawyer Rezan Epözdemir said. “But there is no risk now.”

Several Fener officials, including Chairman Aziz Yıldırım, were found guilty of rigging when the judge gave his verdict in May. However, Emenike’s case was separated from the case because he was abroad and did not attend the hearings.

Meanwhile, Trabzonspor was drawn to play Videoton, and Bursaspor will meet Twente in the second-tier Europa League playoffs.