The head of the Turkish Football Federation's arbitration panel and six others will appear before the court on Friday, three days after they were arrested as part of a corruption investigation, according to media reports.
Ferhat Gundogdu and his deputy were detained, along with five others, on Tuesday, as part of an investigation into allegations of fraud at the highest levels in the management of arbitration affairs.
The suspects appeared before a judge at the Caglayan Court in Istanbul on Friday morning on several charges, including “forgery of official documents,” “breach of trust,” and “unlawful acquisition of personal data.”
Police also detained two league referees on Thursday evening, according to media reports.
The arrests came a year after the Turkish Federation suspended 149 referees in an illegal betting scandal.
The Federation announced two days ago that it had referred 450 officials of other clubs to the Disciplinary Committee as part of an investigation into illegal bets.
It was not immediately clear whether this week's developments were related to that investigation.
Justice Minister Akin Gorlik said after Tuesday's proceeding that prosecutors are examining allegations about "interference in the processes of classification, appointments, evaluation and promotions of referees, as well as examinations of the laws."
He added: “We will steadfastly continue the clean ball battle until... those responsible are held accountable.”
The Turkish Federation did not mention the arrests, but confirmed on Tuesday that it was “working with determination” to restore public confidence in “clean football.”
The federation said, without a direct link to the previous scandal, that it “firmly addressed the issue of illegal bets and bets,” and that it supports the work of the Ministries of Interior, Justice, Youth, and Sports in an investigation that “is still ongoing.”
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that prosecutors believe the suspects illegally influenced referee rankings, promotion exams, and match appointments through falsifying documents and systematic intimidation.
Manchester City confirmed on Friday that it had filed a “comprehensive appeal” against the decision of an independent committee appointed by the English Premier League, which found the club guilty of committing “serious” financial violations between 2009 and 2018, in a case that caused controversy in English football.
The Premier League announced on Tuesday that an independent committee found the Abu Dhabi-backed club guilty of more than 100 charges.
The club, owned by an Emirati fund, said in a statement, “The club is innocent of the accusations brought against it by the English Premier League, and there is a complete set of compelling evidence that supports its position in this case,” explaining that the appeal was submitted on Thursday evening.
He added: “The club’s firm position is that the opinion contains, in many aspects, clear fundamental errors in the law, principles and facts, and it cannot be relied upon.”
He continued: “The club is innocent of the accusations brought against it by the English Premier League, and there is a comprehensive body of compelling evidence that supports all of its positions related to this issue.”
The 10-time league champion concluded: “We will continue to respect due legal procedures, and we are necessarily restricted in what we can say more until all procedures are completed.”
Jorge Jesus, coach of the Portuguese national football team, confirmed that “there is nothing” that should prevent the players from “standing with me” after Cristiano Ronaldo left the training camp, according to the British News Agency.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star announced via his Instagram account the day before yesterday, Wednesday, his departure from the Portugal national team camp following discussions with Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation.
Ronaldo participated primarily in Portugal's 1-0 victory over its host Wales last week, while he sat on the bench during the team's 2-1 victory over its host Norway last Sunday, without participating in that match.
Following Ronaldo's departure, Portugal returned to competing in the European Nations League, achieving a major victory with a score of 4-2 over its host, Denmark, yesterday, Thursday, so that the team sits at the top of the standings of Group D in the first level of the continental competition, achieving the full score so far with 9 points, after winning all of its first three matches, superior by a full margin of 6 points over the teams of Denmark, Norway and Wales, which came in places from second to fourth, respectively.
Jesus is putting his full focus on Portugal's next group match against its guest, Norway, the day after tomorrow, Sunday.
Jesus told Sport TV, in response to a question about whether he felt that the group stood with him after the Ronaldo crisis: “Yes, there is nothing that should prevent the group from standing with me.”
He added: “I understand the question. What matters is what we do. The things that happen do not divide the group. It did not divide us and will not divide us.”
When asked if he would accept Ronaldo’s return if the player so desired, Jesus said after the match: “It is a win with a high-quality performance, with four goals and a high-class level. “This cannot be ignored, as it is more important than everything that happened.”
The Portuguese coach concluded his statements by saying: “This is what I want to focus on.” “When they return to Portugal, the players will fight at the Estadio Dragao.”
