Sunday, 3 July 2011

Fenerbahce President Arrested in Turkey


The president of leading Turkish football club Fenerbahce is one of about 30 people who have been arrested in an investigation into match-fixing, Turkey's state media have said.

Aziz Yildirim was held on Sunday, along with his vice-president, the vice-president of Trabzonspor and an official from Eskisehirspor.

Several footballers were also arrested, including at least two Turkish internationals.

Police are searching Fenerbahce's HQ.League matches

The state-run Anatolia news agency named some of those arrested along with Mr Yildirim, including Fenerbahce Vice-President Sekip Mosturoglu, the technical director of Eskisehirspor, Umit Karan, and Vice-President of Trabzonspor, Nevzat Sakar.

Two of the footballers it named were Genclerbirligi striker Serkan Calik and Ankaragucu goalkeeper Serdar Kulbilge.

The agency said that raids had taken place simultaneously in 12 cities.

Istanbul-based Fenerbahce are the reigning Turkish league champions.

The NTV television station said police were investigating alleged match-fixing in last season's league competition.

Associated Press quoted the Dogan news agency as saying the final league game of the season - a 4-3 victory by Fenerbahce over Sivasspor - was one of the matches under investigation.

A number of arrests into match-fixing were made last year but these are by far the highest-profile arrests, the Agence France-Presse news agency reports.

No comment on the news has as yet been made on Fenerbahce's website.


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