Top Turkish football figures face match-fixing trial

PanARMENIAN.Net - Some of the top names in Turkish football are facing judges near Istanbul as nearly 100 people go on trial accused of match-fixing, according to BBC News.

Aziz Yildirim, the president of Fenerbahce, one of Turkey's leading clubs, and 92 other suspects are charged in the scandal. Nineteen of last season's league matches are said to have been affected.

Hundreds of Fenerbahce fans protested outside the court, shouting slogans to defend their club's reputation.

The Istanbul club won the league title last year but were barred from the European Champions League because of the alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal. One of the matches being investigated is Fenerbahce's 4-3 victory over Sivasspor that won them the title.

Another top club, Besiktas, were forced to hand back the Turkish Cup.

The suspects in the trial include players and managers from several major clubs as well as Fenerbahce.

Twenty-three of them are currently in prison, including Mr Yildirim.