4 November 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has launched investigations into eight soccer games played in Turkey with claims of possible rigging, Turkish dailies reported yesterday.
Seven out of eight games being examined face claims of suspicious betting that took place through İddaa, a Turkish soccer betting company that allocates a percentage of its revenue to a fund that forms one to the main income sources of Turkish soccer clubs. UEFA has also been examining 40 teams across Europe faced with claims of rigging. Fair play commissions formed by UEFA in almost all European countries with UEFA members and comprising retired police officers and detectives examine and launch investigations into dubious games. The commissions specifically look into games that are seen as suspicious by legal soccer betting companies. The commissions are expected to hand in their investigative report to UEFA’s administrative board soon. The matches being examined by UEFA are:Bingöl Belediyespor-Diyarbakır Kayapınar: 0-0; Ceyhanspor-Batman Petrol: 0-1; Bulancak-Ünyespor: 1-0; Torbalıspor-M.Kemalpaşa: 2-0; Çorumspor-Akhisar Bld. Spor: 1-0 (1-2); Zeytinburnuspor-Etimesgut Şeker: 3-0; D.Ç. Divriğispor-Sürmenespor: 0-0; Y.Kırşehirspor-Yozgatspor: 0-0.
