World of Sport Reporter: @worldofsport
More scandal at Fifa as the president of Fifa Gianni Infantino is now accused of taking a lax approach to the Turkish match-fixing scandal in 2010-11, when Infantino was the general secretary of Uefa.
Back in 2010/11 season Fenerbache won the Turkish Super League on goal difference, but after an external investigation 36 officials and players were convicted of match-fixing. Fenerbache president Aziz Yildrim was also convicted and he was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
In 2015, however, after Turkish president and Fenerbache supporter Recep Erdogan abolished the special courts that heard the Fenerbahce cases, and Yildrim and all the other defendeants were accuited of their alleged crimes.
At the time, Uefa enforced its own sanctions against Fenerbache. The Turksih giants were banned from European competition for only two years, under the stewardship of Infantino and then Uefa president Michel Platini.
Infantino is under investigation because the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) were apparently considering sanctioning Fenerbache to relegation. However, Infantino intervened and gave approval for a lesser sanction. It’s thought that the agreement to a lesser penalty was because of Infantino request and Turkish TV, who said they would lower the payments if Fenerbache were to be relegated.
The TFF wrote to Infantino, then at Uefa, explaining their new decision and he not only ratified it, but said in response that Uefa approved of the lesser sanctions for match-fixing: “We can say, on behalf of Uefa, that taking all circumstances into account, your proposal appears to constitute a reasonable, proportionate and appropriate response to address this matter.”
The TFF chairman at the time, Mehmet Ali Aydinlar, has said since that the agreement with Uefa was reached because the fear of Turkish clubs losing money to TV rights, and that they “bargained” with Uefa officials. What’s more, as a payback Uefa held its annual meeting in Istanbul just a couple of months later.
Trabzonspor, who would have been installed as champions if Fenerbache had been expelled are now mounting a challenge after six years.
A lawyer, representing Trabzonspor, explained, “We are still disputing the TFF decision not to apply its own disciplinary rules and we are calling for Fenerbahce to be stripped of the championship, which should be awarded to Trabzonspor. TFF violated its own regulations and the Uefa principles of fair play and zero tolerance. We cannot explain or justify Infantino’s approach or the cooperation of Uefa with this.”
In a statement, Infantino, did not explain why he had asked for lesser sanctions but did explicate that he had dealt with match-fixing in the most suitable way before, including the Fenerbache case.
“At the time, Uefa was at the forefront in eradicating match-fixing with pioneering measures being put in place,” Infantino said. “Close cooperation with police and judicial authorities were initiated and implemented throughout Europe. Finally, strong disciplinary decisions were taken … These are the facts and they are clear.”
It seems no matter who is in charge at Fifa, or Uefa for that matter, corruption is abounded. Infantino demanded the TFF lessen the penalty handed out to Fenerbache for financial reasons. Whether the TFF asked him to do so to cover themselves is likely, but they are not the ones on trial here.
Infantino now has the most powerful position in world football. We have just gone through the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the game. And there has been many. Is it not time for football to clean itself up, by getting rid of all the people with any ties to corrupt shenanigans? Football is a game for the people, but it’s being ruined by a few greedy people.
Photo/Link Sources:
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What do you buy the golfer who has everything? A short game!
Fifa should be disbanded and started again. It has been corrupt for a long time, and in most cases it's not even run by football people. But the football people who are involved are corrupt, too. Step forward Michel Platini.
Well said. Start again!
Sports today have very little to do with the sport itself. If everyone would know what goes on behind the scenes there wouldn't be a single supporter left. What if that time in your life you were devastated your favourite team lost just to find out it was rigged from the start, you wouldn't care for their next win or lose, wouldn't you?
Many sports a corrupted by greedy wankers.
They are all corrupts ! Greedy bastars
Completely agree
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