?? 

turkey football, fenerbahce
Turkish Football Federation Chairman Mehmet Ali Aydinlar (L) presents a national soccer team jersey to Turkey's President Abdullah Gul during their meeting in Istanbul August 24, 2011. The Turkish Football Federation has barred Fenerbahce from this season's Champions League under pressure from UEFA in connection with a match-fixing investigation involving the top Istanbul club. -Reuters Photo

ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce have opened a court case against Uefa and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their exclusion from the Champions League in connection with a match-fixing investigation.   More than 30 players and officials have been jailed in Turkey pending trial, including Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim, over alleged manipulation in 19 matches.   Fenerbahce opened the case at CAS on September 1, it said in a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange late on Sunday. The Istanbul club announced previously it had appointed two lawyers to represent it over the exclusion. 

“The case is opened with a demand now for 45 million euros and reserving the right for more in connection with our material loss due to the said exclusion,” it said.  The court petition also requests an interim measure to reinstate Fenerbahce in the Champions League and Fenerbahce says it expects a CAS decision on this by next weekend.   In late August the football federation (TFF) rejected the club's offer to play in a lower division, having already turned down its appeal against the ruling barring it from European competition.   The TFF has said it would not take any decisions regarding individuals or clubs involved in alleged match-fixing until a Turkish court accepts the indictment and ends a ban on the disclosure of evidence. That could take several months.   However, under pressure from Uefa, the TFF then excluded Fenerbahce from the Champions League, allowing Turkish league runners-up Trabzonspor to take their place.  The TFF has postponed the start of the season by a month until September 9 due to the investigation.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...