The 2011 match-fixing charges were made by prosecutors linked to Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric who Turkey says staged an attempted coup in 2016, an accusation Gulen denies. Turkish soccer at the time was beset by allegations of match-fixing, which Fenerbahce was accused of spearheading. Fenerbahce's former president Aziz Yildirim was sentenced to six years in prison after being charged with match-fixing and forming an illegal organisation. The court handed down jail sentences to at least 25 other defendants, state-owned news agency Anadolu said. The prosecutors and judges who opened and ruled on the original case fled the country following the coup attempt.

Source: Standard Digital June 04, 2021 12:27 UTC