Fenerbahçe chair denies all allegations

ISTANBUL/TRABZON

Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım (C) says the indictment on match-fixing charges intentionally strained facts such as the lawful revenues transferred from the TFF. Hürriyet photo

Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım, who is under arrest in the ongoing match-fixing probe, said Dec. 10 the allegations in the indictment are unfounded, contradictory, and illegal.

 “These piles of unfounded, contradictory and illegal allegations will be soon revealed along with evidence and witnesses,” said Yıldrım in a written statement sent through his lawyers and made public on the club’s official website Dec. 10. 

Yıldırım said the indictment on match-fixing charges, which outlines the links between the mafia and football worlds, intentionally strained facts such as the lawful revenues transferred from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) were shown illegal by wiretapped conversations. He claimed that even ordinary meetings with the other team’s managers were said to be match-fixing meetings. “The bonuses for footballers were shown as match-fixing bribes; the bags that carried souvenirs were shown as money bags…”

Meanwhile Trabzonspor, which was also involved in the indictment, issued a press release yesterday saying that the indictment itself said there is no evidence that the team has acted illegally.

So far a total of 93 football officials, players and coaches have been named as suspects in match-fixing cases, 31 of whom are currently in jail pending trial.

Last season’s Spor Toto Super League champion Fenerbahçe, runner-up Trabzonspor and Ziraat Turkish Cup winner Beşiktaş are the three high-profile teams involved in the case. All risk being relegated from the top flight for the first time in their history. The Super League’s Sivasspor, Eskişehirspor and Istanbul BB, as well as League One sides Giresunspor and Diyarbakırspor, have also been involved in the case.